Date of Award
Spring 1980
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
Chronic cerebellar stimulation holds much promise for the treatment of various motor, psychomotor and psychological pathologies. Recently, several systems have been introduced for stimulating the cerebellum through surface electrodes to control various forms of epilepsy and movement disorders. Although many of these efforts have met with mixed success, the complete picture remains optimistic. Many of the failures and problems encountered have been attributed to a lack of understanding of cerebellar function, stimulus pathways, or electrical parameters, rather than actual technique efficacy. The thrust of this project: has been to remove as many of these "cobwebs" as possible concerning focal electrical stimulation of the cerebellum. Toward this end, an investigation was made into the effects of surface stimulation at various frequencies on cerebellar Purkinje cells utilizing improved electronic equipment developed specifically for this purpose.