Designated as an innovative medical technology for customized AI brain stimulation treatment to help rehabilitate fingers of stroke patients
Jun 02, 2025
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As the number of stroke patients has increased, interest in rehabilitation has also increased, and the green light has been turned on for the introduction of advanced treatments to improve the finger movement function of stroke patients.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, recently recognized 'Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based customized transcranial direct current stimulation using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an innovative medical technology and announced related contents. The technology will be temporarily allowed to be used for three years from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028, and clinical data from actual medical sites will be accumulated and re-evaluated to determine whether to apply formal health insurance.
This technology, which combines state-of-the-art MRI and AI, aims to help paralyzed fingers recover motor function by implementing it in conjunction with existing rehabilitation therapy.
When a patient's three-dimensional brain MRI image is input into AI-based brain imaging treatment planning software, the AI precisely analyzes each patient's brain structure and damaged area to find the most effective electrical stimulation location on the scalp. Then, based on this information, doctors attach electrodes to the corresponding scalp location and stimulate specific brain areas by flowing microscopic direct current in a non-invasive way that does not cut the skin or use needles.
The biggest advantage is that 'customized' treatment is possible. Different people have different brain shapes and degrees of damage, and AI analyzes MRI images and sets the optimal treatment point, enabling more sophisticated and effective stimulation. It is relatively safe in a 'non-invasive' method that does not scratch the skin or insert instruments into the body, and the burden on the patient is low.
Patients who have been prescribed rehabilitation therapy due to finger paralysis due to stroke, and only neurologists or rehabilitation specialists working at medical institutions who reported and received technology use to the head of the Korea Institute of Health and Medical Sciences.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
