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We have developed a new rTMS device with corporative research with Teijin Pharma Limited.
We have conducted a clinical trial (Phase III) of the developed rTMS device to test the safety and efficacy of rTMS as a neuromodulatory therapy for intractable neuropathic pain.
We are presently conducting various multi-center clinical studies on patients to establish the effectiveness of rTMS as a neuromodulatory therapy for intractable neurological diseases. Our studies are especially evaluating the efficacy and safety of daily rTMS. We are also in the process of developing an rTMS therapy system for home use. In addition to these approaches, we are also involved in studies to clarify the mechanisms of rTMS using a multimodality approach.
Patients participating the research with
- Intractable pain
- Movement disorders（e.g. Parkinson’s disease)
- Post-stroke rehabilitation
Investigator Initiated Studies
- Development of highly-efficient rTMS for home care medical device; data collecting and safety evaluation.
- Development of new treatment method of intractable pain using magnetoencephalography (MEG)-decoded neurofeedback (Dec-Nef).
- Construction and management of the cooperative shared multi-institutional system for the investigation of the biomarker and dimension of various psychiatric disorders
- Effect of rTMS over cerebral cortex on saccades of patients with Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism
- Exploratory study of optimal conditions of noninvasive brain stimulation for intractable pain
Elucidation of pathophysiology of intractable neurological disorders and investigation of action mechanisms of rTMS on these disorders（clinical researches and animal experiments）
We aim to elucidate the pathophysiology of intractable neurological disorders such as
intractable neuropathic pain, and to investigate the mechanism of action of rTMS
in pain relief.
- Modeling the pain information processing in the brain.
- Analysis of brain network and biomarker discovery using resting-state network connectivity.
- Investigation using emerging brain machine interface (BMI) technologies.
- Experiment of animal models of diseases.
- Functional imaging analysis, electrophysiological evaluation, quantitative behavioral analysis, quantitative sensory analysis, etc.
Development of Magnetic Stimulation Positioning System
Using magnetic sensors for navigating the stimulation coil
～Inexpensive and small system & intuitive user interface～
(Atsushi Nishikawa, Shinshu Univ.)
We have been developing a magnetic navigation system for home use device of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The magnetic sensors used in this system are inexpensive and small; hence it’s suitable for home use. Using the proposed system, even people without any knowledge or technical information about rTMS can easily navigate the coil to the optimal position preliminarily specified by experienced physicians.
- An example of user interface monitor
- A prototype of the system to use magnetic sensors to navigate the coil
Development of magnetic stimulator and stimulation coil
Development of Highly-efficient magnetic stimulators for home care medical device.
(Masaki Sekino, Tokyo Univ.)
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a method to stimulate the brain using pulsed magnetic fields applied from an external coil. The pulsed magnetic field induces electric fields in the brain according to Faraday's law. We have been developing a compact magnetic stimulator which efficiently induces electric fields in the brain. The stimulatory effects are evaluated based on numerical analyses using realistic human brain models.
- Inducing electric fields in the brain using a figure-eight coil.
- Numerical analysis of electric fields in the brain using a realistic brain model.
Development of positioning support system for TMS for home use.
Easy applicable positioning system
-A simple, easy user-friendly interface for everyone-
（Yoshihiro Yasumuro, Kansai Univ.）
Safe and precise positioning support technology is necessity for home use magnetic stimulation and make every patient comfortable to use it. We aim to materialize the positioning system as comfort, touchable human interface which incorporate a new sensing technology.
