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| Eric E. Sabelman, PhD | |
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| Functional Neurosurgery Bioengineer Dept of Neurosurgery Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Redwood City, CA |
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Abstract: "Real or Artificial? Prosthetics, biomaterials, and cellular repair in the nervous system”
It is now possible to treat Parkinson's Disease and similar movement disorders by implanting a multi-contact electrode into the region of the brain that causes tremor and stiffness. Such Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) electrodes do not cure the disease, but relieve symptoms when medication is no longer effective - the definition of a neuroprosthesis. An alternative is implantation of stem cells that replace lost function biologically, perhaps actually curing the disease. Stem cells alone have a poor record of success; quite likely, tissue engineering methods and materials must be applied to induce regeneration of lost connectivity with other regions of the brain.
This talk will compare the two approaches – prosthetic vs. regeneration – with a focus on the technology and surgical workflow required to achieve the intended result.
DBS targets have been identified for neuropsychiatric syndromes: Tourette's
Disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and some forms of depression and
behavioral addiction. Does this m
ean that everyone with a treatable "illness" will be given a
DBS implant? Or that DBS surgery will be used to enforce "normal" behavior?
Not very likely, given the extreme difficulty of deep electrode implantation
surgery, which requires an order of magnitude better accuracy than "routine" brain
surgery.
Bio: Eric E. Sabelman, PhD, is a bioengineer on the neurosurgery staff of Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City, California, where he provides technological support for implantation of deep brain electrodes for treating Parkinson’s Disease. He is also adjunct instructor in biomaterials at Santa Clara University. Previously, he was one of 12 principal investigators at the VA Palo Alto Rehabilitation R&D Center, where he was responsible for peer-reviewed projects on development of microsensor-based human body motion analysis, tactile sensors, acute spinal cord injury patient care, and tissue engineering for nerve repair and reconstructive surgery. Prior to his VA appointment, he was an independent consultant with clients in forensic biomechanics, emergency medical equipment design, temperature measurement instrumentation, space biology and industrial biotechnology. His earlier experience includes positions on the research staff of Collagen Corporation, University of California-San Francisco Medical School, and NASA. Dr. Sabelman received his B.S and M.S degrees in mechanical engineering (1968,1969) and his Ph.D. degree in bioengineering from Stanford University (1976). He is the author of more than 50 papers and conference presentations and has been awarded four patents