Abstract #0652

Automatic, Rapid, Non-Invasive and Precise Localization of Thalamic Nuclei for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Surgery Using a Combination of Diffusion & Functional MRI

Halleh Ghaderi¹,², Abbas Sadikot³, Jennifer Campbell², G. Bruce Pike²,³

¹Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; ²McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; ³Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment for Parkinsons disease that involves implanting electrode in thalamus of awake patients. The success of this surgery is highly influenced by the accuracy of target localization. Current DBS planning is limited to visual inspection of anatomical MRI and micro-electrode recording during the surgery to find the target. This may require multiple insertions, thus increasing the risk of complications. Therefore, the conventional target localization is complex, tedious and time-consuming for surgeon and uncomfortable for an awake patient. This study proposes a non-invasive, automatic, rapid technique to accurately localize thalamic nuclei using a combination of Diffusion imaging and functional MRI.