2001 Young Clinician Investigator

Zelma H.T. Kiss, MD, PhD
University of Calgary
Chairman: Thomas Feasby, MD
Sponsor: Quentin Pittman, PhD

Research Title: Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Deep Brian Stimulation (DBS) Therapy

Despite the well-recognized clinical efficacy of deep brian stimualtion (DBS) for pain and movement disorders, its mechanism of action is unknown. My research aim is to understand the cellular basis of DBS, by applying simulated DBS in rat brain slices while recording intracellularly from nearby neurons. It is by understanding the direct effects of DBS on neurons, their membranes and synapses, that we can hope to understand its mode of action, thereby advancing DBS from an empirically-utilized treatment to one that can be applied rationally to other locations and other neurological conditions.

Click here to view  Final Research Report  (PDF 793KB)