Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a detailed map of a deep brain structure that could help improve the precision of brain stimulation therapies for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, focuses on the pulvinar, part of the thalamus, which plays a key role in processing and coordinating information from multiple brain networks. The findings suggest that even areas of the pulvinar separated by only a few millimetres connect to entirely different regions of the brain, highlighting the importance of accurate electrode placement during deep brain stimulation.
The research involved 30 people with drug-resistant epilepsy who already had temporary electrodes implanted as part of their routine clinical care. By delivering small electrical pulses to different parts of the pulvinar and recording the brain’s responses, the team created a detailed map of the region’s connections to networks involved in vision, memory, language and attention.
The researchers found that the pulvinar is not a uniform structure but is made up of specialised subregions with distinct patterns of connectivity. In some cases, brain areas just 3 mm apart were linked to completely different functional networks.
These findings could help clinicians tailor neuromodulation therapies more precisely to an individual’s epilepsy. Around one-third of people with epilepsy continue to experience seizures despite anti-seizure medication, and deep brain stimulation is increasingly being explored as an option for these patients.
The researchers are already using the new maps to guide electrode placement in people receiving pulvinar deep brain stimulation while continuing to investigate how targeting different subregions influences long-term seizure control and treatment outcomes.
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The team also plans to examine which parts of the pulvinar respond best to different stimulation frequencies, with the aim of improving seizure control while minimising adverse effects.
The authors say the work represents an important step towards more personalised neuromodulation therapies, using detailed knowledge of brain networks to optimise treatment for people whose epilepsy cannot be controlled with medication alone.
This news item has been summarised using AI and checked by humans before publication.
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