A New Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease: The Application of BCI Regulation in Dopamine Release

Kathryn Zixin Ling

doi:10.54097/439jgz83

Authors

Kathryn Zixin Ling

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/439jgz83

Keywords:

Parkinson’s disease; brain-computer interface; dopamine.

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of Lewy bodies rich in α-synuclein. Existing treatments mainly rely on levodopa replacement therapy, but its pharmacokinetic limitations and imprecise dosing control lead to limited efficacy and associated motor complications. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology provides a closed-loop treatment solution by integrating high-density neural monitoring and adaptive neural regulation. This study explored the application of BCI in PD treatment, specifically fluorescence-guided optogenetic regulation to achieve dopamine homeostasis restoration. The study showed that BCI can maintain dynamic dopamine replenishment within the therapeutic window (2–5 μM) through synchronized optogenetic stimulation and fluorescent dopamine detection (ΔF/F >450%), thereby reducing the incidence of dyskinesia by 60%. In addition, the technology restored cortical-basal ganglia theta-gamma coupling (4–8 Hz phase modulation) and improved bradykinesia by 41.2%. In translational studies of Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease, BCI technology has shown efficacy of 38% and 67%, respectively. Although BCI still faces challenges such as signal drift (23% attenuation per year) and photobleaching (0.5% per minute), self-healing electrodes, biomimetic interfaces, and control strategies based on neural connectomes are driving the development of the next generation of neural prostheses. In the future, this technology is expected to combine optofluidic drug delivery and multi-parameter biosensing to achieve personalized precision treatment, thereby shifting the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases from symptom control to neural circuit repair.

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