UPSIDE is developing a new, less invasive and personalized treatment for Major Depressive Disorder using focused ultrasound to stimulate specific areas of the brain and electrical recording to tailor the treatment for a given patient. Major Depressive Disorder is a serious global issue, affecting 300 million people, with 15% experiencing it at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, about one-third of these patients don’t respond to current treatments like medication and therapy. These individuals are considered to have Treatment-Resistant Depression.
Current alternative treatments like Electroconvulsive Therapy, which uses electric currents to cause a brief seizure, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, which uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells, and others have limitations, such as low precision or limited effectiveness, with success rates below 30%. Additionally, better diagnostic tools are needed to identify depression and personalize treatments effectively. The UPSIDE project aims to address these challenges with its innovative approach.
Our goal in UPSIDE is to create and test a new hybrid technology that combines two key components: a focused ultrasound wave stimulator and a high-density brain activity recording system, both placed just under the skull. This innovative approach will be made possible through advanced techniques that allow for smaller, more powerful devices using cutting-edge biocompatible materials and technology that are safe for the body. To achieve this, UPSIDE includes experts that will explore state-of-the-art semiconductor and bio-transducer technology to develop a cutting edge microchip-based epidural brain interface, advanced algorithms to read and decode the recorded brain signals towards biomarkers of depression, and the pre-clinical experimental methods to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the proposed closed-loop therapeutic approach.
The UPSIDE project will lead to a breakthrough device that can stimulate specific brain networks and simultaneously monitor brain activity in animal models with depression-like symptoms. This will be a significant step forward in developing personalized treatments for people with depression who haven’t responded to other treatments, with substantially less invasive and high targeting capabilities when compared with other approaches.
To subscribe to our Newsletter and receive our latest news:
