Advance Study to evaluate safety and benefit of DBS-f for patients with mild Alzheimer's

Dec 7 2012

The first U.S. patient to enroll in Functional Neuromodulation's ADvance Study was successfully implanted with a deep brain stimulation (DBS) system. ADvance will evaluate the safety and potential clinical benefit of DBS of the fornix (DBS-f), a major inflow and output pathway in the brain's memory circuit, for patients with mild Alzheimer's.

The ADvance Study is making rapid progress, with six implants conducted to date. The first U.S. implant was done at Johns Hopkins and five patients have been implanted at Toronto Western Hospital. The University of Pennsylvania has joined the study, bringing the total to five leading North American research centers participating in ADvance.

"In just two years, we have partnered with expert clinical researchers and assembled a lean team of seasoned professionals that have propelled the company through funding, regulatory requirements, study initiation and significant patient enrollment," said Todd Langevin, President and COO of Functional Neuromodulation.

"Given the urgent need for progress and the ongoing challenges in drug research for Alzheimer's, we are excited to assess a completely new circuitry-based approach that could offer hope," commented David Wolk, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Assistant Director of the Penn Memory Center. "Pre-clinical testing has suggested that DBS may result in physiological changes that could alter disease progression. ADvance will help us to determine whether stimulation of the fornix can drive activity in the memory circuit to improve memory and lead to better clinical outcomes."

Source: University of Pennsylvania