Operative neuromodulation, volume 1: functional neuroprosthetic surgery, volume 2: neural networks surgery

Excerpt

The first volume entitled “Functional Neuroprosthetic Surgery” starts with an introduction devoted to definitions of the term “neuromodulation”. In biology, neuromodulation can be defined as “the process by which chemical substances, neurons or neural networks excite, inhibit or tune adjacent or remote neurons or neural networks, in order for the latter to deliver responses which are better adapted to the demands of the environment and more suitable for ensuring its successful survival”. In the technological context, “neuromodulation is a field of science, medicine and bio-engineering that encompasses implantable and non-implantable technologies, electrical or chemical, with the aim to improve the quality of the life for humans suffering from neurological disorders”. As regards to applications, “Neuromodulation is the reversible use of electrical stimulation or centrally delivered pharmaceutical agents to manipulate nervous system activity in order to treat specific types of chronic pain, spasticity, epilepsy, ischemia, cardiac, bowel, bladder dysfunction, nervous system injury, and movement, visual, auditory or psychiatric disorders”. …