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The MnDRIVE Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Core is charged with supporting invasive neuromodulation research at the University of Minnesota. (Learn more about MnDRIVE Brain Conditions funding here.) Examples of topics supported by the DBS Core include DBS for Parkinson’s disease, DBS for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and spinal cord stimulation for pain. Past and current protocols supported by the core include single-cell recordings during DBS implantation surgery, motor studies comparing DBS stimulation settings, imaging of brain anatomy, pathway modeling, etc. The DBS Core currently provides regulatory, project management, and coordinator support to more than 30 studies from 19 faculty across three departments in the Medical School and two faculty in the College of Science and Engineering. MnDRIVE DBS Core-supported research occurs at many locations on and off the UMN campus, including CMRR, UMMC, M Health CRU, 717 Delaware St SE, various Fairview clinics, and elsewhere. 

Support is tailored to the individual project, and is offered at every step of the research process, from the planning stages of grant submission, through study close-out, including:

• Staffing
• Identification of resources
• Feasibility analysis
• Research Coordination
• Project management
• Budgeting
• Reporting
• Database creation 
• Database management
• Regulatory services
  • IRB
  • FDA
  • CMS
  • CT.gov

The type and level of MnDRIVE support is decided on a case-by-case basis and is determined by several factors: 

• Needs of the study
• Funding level of the study
• Current Core staff capacity

Depending on the factors listed above, Core services (regulatory, coordination, project management, budgeting, etc.) may be provided without charge, particularly for new faculty members collecting pilot data for grant applications. To enquire about Core support, please fill out the request form below or contact the Core’s associate director, Kelly Ryberg, at [email protected].