Neuroscience in Cuba: towards a better life for the disabled

Cuban Center for Neuroscience

(CNC)

Areas of research:•Neuroimaging•Cognitive Neuroscience•Neurogenetics•Medical Equipment•Disabilities of Neural origin

CNC carries out research on brain function and develops technologies for promoting mental health

Neuroimages allow us a view into the structure and function of the living brain

CNC has developed one of the fastest types of Neuroimage currently available

Brain Electrical and Magnetic Tomography (BET)

Brain Electrical and Magnetic Tomography (BET)

Sources of brain activity are anatomically localized

Normative data was obtained for all brain regions and for the age range between 5 and

97 years.

Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

Almost 70% in developing countries

18 millionAflictedworldwide

BET has been used by NYU and CNC to pinpoint brain damage in Alzheimer

Same brain areas are affected in presymptomatic carriers of Alzheimer’s

Disease Gene

Future goals:•Detection of presymptomatic cases •Delay the onset of the disease

Excess slow activity

Early detection and treatment of hearing loss

About 1 to 3 of every 1000 children

are born with severe hearing loss

The WHO estimates that 250 million people in the world suffer from a disabling

hearing impairment

Early hearing loss has profoundly negative consequences for development:

•Impaired language acquisition•Difficulties in school•Problems with emotional and social adjustment

Plastic changes in brain organization

Speech sounds

The first three years of life are a critical period for language development

Early detection is necessary !!

The CNC has developed a novel system for objective hearing assessment

Audix

Audix 20Neuronica 2 36

Neuronica 4 6

National Network for detectionOf Hearing Loss in Cuba

Cuban screening program for early detection of hearing loss

High risk register in maternity wards

High risk register in pediatric intensive care units

Family doctors

•The WHO reports that in developing countries the mean age at which hearing loss is detected is about 3-5 years

•In the UK it is about 20 months.

•In Havana City (Cotorro Municipal) for children born from 1983 to 2001 the mean age of detection was reduced to 17 months.

•Early detection improved cognitive development

< 5 YEARS 5 – 10 YEARS

EARLY SCREEN 71% 8% 21%

NO SCREEN 0% 0% 100%

> 10 YEARS

DELAY IN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The AUDIX system is presently in use in 11 countries for the Diagnosis of Hearing Loss Introduced in:

Audix in use

Technology transfer: networks for early detection of hearing loss

Colombia

Mexico

China

CIRENThe International Center for Neurological Restoration (CIREN), has developed a unique technology, of a very intensive nature and multidisciplinary in outlook, for the rehabilitation of neurological disorders.

This technology is based on the plasticity of the nervous system, which allows it to recover and re-organize after a lesion.

This high precision device improves minimum access brain surgery and has enabled the development of a new and successful surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease. (Emory University in Atlanta has collaborated in this proyect)

Used in 6 Cuban hospitalsWill be available in 10 more

Cuban Stereotactic FrameEstereoflex