Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Germany have developed novel magnetic nanodiscs that could provide a less invasive way of stimulating parts of the brain, paving the way for stimulation therapies without implants or genetic modification. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a common clinical procedure that uses electrodes implanted in the target brain regions to treat symptoms of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Despite its efficacy, the surgical difficulty and clinical complications associated with DBS limit the number of cases where such an invasive procedure is warranted. The new nanodiscs could provide a more benign way of achieving the same results.
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