Neurological Technologies

At University Hospitals Neurological Institute, we provide patients with the most innovative technologies and effective treatments for neurological conditions. We are the only institute in Ohio, and one of only a few in the country, to offer patients all the following technologies:

• Proton Therapy: A highly advanced technique that allows radiation oncologists to target tumors with the maximum cancer-destroying capabilities of radiation while decreasing dose to healthy tissue and organs.
• NeuroBlate® System: A revolutionary technology that destroys brain tumors using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided laser; our institute is one of only a handful in the world that offers NeuroBlate (formerly called AutoLITT).
• Gamma Knife: The most accurate form of stereotactic radiosurgery for the brain; this technology pinpoints one area with numerous radiation beams without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.
• Electromyography (EMG) lab: Helps identify causes of numbness, paralysis, muscle weakness or spasm, providing an accurate road map for treatment planning.
• Autonomic lab: Tests the performance of nerves traveling from the brain to various major organs, like the heart, stomach and bladder
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS): Manages tremors, movement and walking problems via surgical implantation of electrodes in the brain and pulse generators in the upper chest just beneath the collarbones.
• Spinal cord stimulation: Uses spinal cord neurostimulators that deliver targeted chronic pain management. The neurostimulator is inserted under the skin through a small incision in the upper buttock, while the long-term lead is implanted in the epidural space of the spinal cord.
• Intrathecal drug delivery: Also known as the "pain pump" or “baclofen pump,” this simple procedure uses a small pump to deliver medication directly to a patient’s spinal cord. The pump is placed under the abdominal skin through a minimally invasive procedure and delivers medication through a catheter to the area around the spinal cord.
• Surgical treatment of epilepsy: Seizures that do not respond to pharmaceutical management may be reduced or eliminated through epilepsy surgery. Advances in presurgical diagnostic techniques, including brainmapping, expand therapeutic options to a larger percentage of epileptic patients.
• Surgical treatment of facial pain: Accurately identifies source of pain before devising customized surgical treatments. Surgical solutions are available to relieve pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, tumors and a variety of other neuropathies.

A Tradition of Innovation

UH Neurological Institute remains at the leading edge of technology, technique and discovery for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions. We have a proud and rich legacy of developing advanced testing protocols, drug treatments and surgical techniques for our patients. For example:

• First brain surgery aired nationally on live TV on National Geographic Channel, performing deep brain stimulation to reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
• University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is the first hospital in northeast Ohio to achieve The Joint Commission’s standards for Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, joining an elite group of providers focused on complex stroke care.
• First in North America to perform deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus to treat successfully the symptoms of Tourette syndrome
• We have one of the nation's largest Brain Attack programs. We use Brain Attack Coalition guidelines to ensure that stroke patients receive a complete spectrum of services.
• We were the first institute in northeast Ohio to offer Botox® injection therapy for a facial movement disorder known as pterygoid muscle dystonia.
• We were the first in the U.S. to perform the epilepsy procedure known as multiple hippocampal transection, which can eliminate or reduce the occurrence and severity of seizures.
• We offer special surgical therapy for various types of dystonia, a disorder that causes involuntary twisting movements and/or abnormal postures. This treatment is only available at a few dozen hospitals nationwide.
• Our stereotactic radiosurgery suite was the first in Ohio to include Gamma Knife technology.
• We pioneered a testing diaphragm pacing stimulation, which can slow the rate of respiratory decline in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• The first group worldwide to complete a prospective randomized double blinded trial of thalamic DBS for Tourette syndrome in a pilot clinical trial of five patients
• As a leader in advanced medical education, UH Neurological Institute is one of only 35 institutes in the country offering a medical fellowship in neurocritical care.