Scientists from Peking University are bringing a high-end brain disorder diagnosis and treatment technology, to team with local hospitals to provide precise intervention and rehabilitation to patients with problems such as Parkinson’s disease, complications of stroke, and depression.
A clinical transformation center for brain disease individualized regulating techniques, and a clinic, was established in Huangpu District on Wednesday.
A clinical transformation center for brain disease individualized regulating technique is established in Shanghai on Wednesday.
Many brain diseases stem from alterations in the brain’s functional networks, and treatment of such diseases can require decoding the complicated disease-related neural circuits. Detecting these networks and understanding the underlying mechanisms are complex.
“Each person’s brain is unique and the functional zones for his or her brain disorders are also different,” said Professor Liu Hesheng from Peking University’s Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center.
Liu led his team to develop a technique called personalized brain function sectors, which can map 213 functional networks within the human brain based on functional magnetic resonance imaging.
“The precise locations of these zones are extremely important for treatment such as surgery and non-invasive methods,” he said.
The technology can pinpoint specific disease targets through individual brain functional zones, boosting precise treatment for brain diseases.
Liu said his team had begun cooperation and joint research with some 60 city-level hospitals nationwide. They had also developed hardware and software for precise diagnosis and clinical therapies on patients, through non-invasive, imaging-guided, transcranial magnetic stimulation on targeted neural circuits.
“Identifying functional circuits responsible for neurodegenerative, neurological, and psychiatric symptoms, and translating these brain imaging markers into clinical practice for treating brain disorders are the most important steps in brain disorder intervention and treatment,” he added. “Our clinical research has shown positive effects through the innovative technology.”
Local leading hospitals including Ruijin and Huashan have expressed interest in the technology and begun cooperation.
Dr Wu Jinsong from Huashan Hospital, a leading hospital in brain disease treatment in China, said Huashan would carry out joint research and speed up clinical transformation of Liu’s technology to look for better clinical diagnosis and solutions for patients.
Officials from Huangpu District also hailed the introduction of the new center and clinic, as it showed the district’s focus on the life health industry.
“Huangpu is building its scientific innovation zone and stepping up the translation of laboratory achievements into practical and clinical solutions and products to benefit the patients and enhance medical development,” said Xu Zhi, vice governor of Huangpu. “This new center adds a strong pushing power to Huangpu’s scientific growth.”