Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi have invented a new technique that helps detect abnormal brain characteristics associated with an Ischemic stroke. The novel technique can help locate the sites of damaged sites in the brain.

In a press note released today (May 3, 2021) the Institute said that its researchers have invented a method to study the variations in nerve functions and blood flow to the brain in relation to an Ischemic stroke. This can help locate, classify and study the sites that are damaged or are leading to potential neurological diseases.

Results of this study led by Dr. Shubhajit Roy Chowdhury, associate professor, School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, IIT Mandi, has been published in IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine and the team has been recently granted a US patent for the invention. Dr. Roy Chowdhury has collaborated with Dr. Abhijit Das, a neurologist from the Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, and Dr. Anirban Dutta, an assistant professor in Restorative Neurorehabilitation from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Buffalo, USA.

The research’s finding is based on the intricate interactions between nerve cells (neurons) and blood vessels (vasculature) called the NeuroVascular Coupling (NVC) that regulates blood flow in the brain. “Diseases such as Ischemic stroke adversely affect the NVC. NeuroVascular Uncoupling results in such cases, wherein, the nerve impulses do not trigger the required blood flow. Timely detection of NVC is critical for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases,” the Institute said in a note.

Studies estimate that at least 30 million Indians suffer from neurological disorders. These include cases of epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, and neuro-infections. The invention by the IIT Mandi team, researchers say, will take the diagnosis of neurological problems a step further and will help in better detection and treatment of these diseases.