Neuromodulation: Using the brain ’ s internal language to relieve pain

When a patient walks into Dr. Jason Yong’s clinic at Brigham & Women‘s Faulkner Hospital complaining of pain, his work has just begun. “Pain is a common symptom and it’s totally generic,” Yong explained to MassDevice. “The other thing that makes it challenging is that it’s so subjective.” After Yong exhausts the pharmaceutical possibilities for managing his patient’s pain, he turns to technological options such as implantable neuromodulation systems. Neuromod devices use electrodes to deliver stimulation directly to a patient’s brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves, inhibiting pain signals or triggering neural impulses. Although commonly associated with managing pain relief, neuromod systems are used to treat an array of conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, incontinence and vascular disease. “This is a defining moment in neuroscience: for the first time, we are using the ‘language’ of the nervous system to alter its responses. We can now pinpoint pain signals and deliver personalized therapy,” the medical director for Abbott’s neuromod business, Dr. Allen Burton, said in a statement. The global market’s appetite for these systems shows no signs of slowing down – it’s expected to grow from $8.4 billion last year to $13.3 billion in 2022, according to Neurotech Reports. The perspective from one industry leader Keith Boettiger, president of Abbott‘s (NYSE:ABT) neuromod division, has b...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Featured Neurological Pain Management Wall Street Beat Abbott Brigham & Women's Hospital Source Type: news