2023-04-19 19:31:10
Guillaume Lajoie, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UdeM and researcher at Mila, Numa Dancause, Marco Bonizzato and Marina Martinez, professors in the Department of Neurosciences at Université de Montréal
Scientists have long studied neurostimulation to treat paralysis and sensory deficits caused by strokes and spinal cord injuries, which affect some 380,000 people nationwide.
But here is a new study published in open access in the prestigious American journal Cell Reports Medicine demonstrates the possibility of autonomously optimizing the stimulation parameters of prostheses implanted in the brain in animals, that is to say without human intervention.
The work, funded among others by IVADO – the artificial intelligence research and transfer institute – was carried out by Marco Bonizzato, Numa Dancause and Marina Martinez, professors in the Department of Neurosciences at the Université de Montréal, together with Guillaume Lajoie, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UdeM and researcher at Mila, the Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence. They are the result of significant interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists who combine expertise in neuroscience and artificial intelligence, two fields of activity in which the Université de Montréal stands out internationally.
A major step forward
“Neuroprostheses – devices intended to restore connections between neurons following a loss of motor function – are entering a very promising phase in their development. We are demonstrating the advantages obtained by the autonomous optimization of their parameters,” maintains Guillaume Lajoie.
If the performance of these prostheses has increased, it is thanks to the autonomous learning algorithms developed by the researchers. “The optimization algorithms allow us to design very refined neurostimulation protocols and to personalize the treatments according to the condition of each patient”, explains Marco Bonizzato.
Numa Dancause believes that, although “there are several ways to stimulate the brain, the contribution of artificial intelligence is essential to make the most of the data collected and anticipate situations that do not yet exist”.
These technological advances thus bring us closer to new neuroprosthetic solutions to improve the treatment of spinal cord injuries and cerebrovascular accidents or even the stimulation of the deep brain by neuromodulation with the aim of acting in particular on Parkinson’s disease.
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