Program

Executive Summary：
Dr. Wen-Shiang Chen accomplished his rehabilitation specialist training at National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan in 1997. He went abroad for his PhD study in Bioengineering at University of Washington from 1997 to 2002, and postdoc at Mechanical Engineering, Duke University later. He returned Taiwan and became an attending physician in National Taiwan University Hospital since 2003. Dr. Chen is now a professor of National Taiwan University and has been the chief of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital since 2017 to 2023. Moreover, he serves as the president of Taiwan Association of Interventional and Therapeutic Ultrasound (TAITU) from 2021, and Taiwan Neuromusculoskeletal Ultrasound Society (TNMSKUS) from 2025. He is also the new president of Asia Oceania Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (AOSPRM) from August, 2025.
Dr. Chen’s research interest is therapeutic ultrasound, especially in the fields related to ultrasound-facilitated drug delivery and brain neuromodulation. He has published more than 100 academic papers, many of them listed among high-ranking journals. His personal hobbies include hiking and philately.

Lecture Abstract：
The glymphatic system is a brain-wide pathway for clearing waste via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flowing through perivascular spaces, driven by arterial pulsations and regulated by astrocytic AQP4 water channels. Glymphatic dysfunction is increasingly linked to neurological conditions such as ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, due to impaired clearance of toxic proteins
Low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) emerges as a promising therapeutic candidate to enhance glymphatic function. In our 2024 study, LIUS (1 MHz, PRF 1 kHz, duty cycle 1%, I_spta ~3.68 mW/cm², 5 min duration) significantly enhanced CSF tracer influx into paravascular spaces and promoted clearance of interstitial substances like exogenous β-amyloid, all without inducing brain damage. Mechanistically, this effect appears to involve activation of the TRPV4–AQP4 pathway in astrocytes.
Our group further explored LIFU in a mouse model of unilateral ischemic stroke. Targeted to the M1 cortical region, LIFU (0.5 MHz, specific burst parameters, I_spta ~0.5 W/cm², 10 min) produced a rapid surge in CSF influx, peaking around 20–30 minutes post-stimulation. Notably, daily contralesional LIFU over 7 days restored impaired CSF influx bilaterally to near baseline levels.
These findings suggest that low-intensity ultrasound may restore or augment glymphatic clearance both in healthy brains and after ischemic injury, through mechanisms involving astrocytic water-channel modulation.
Beyond stroke, such modulation holds potential for neurodegenerative disorders, where glymphatic impairment contributes to protein aggregation and pathology. Enhancing this clearance system may thus pave the way for novel interventions targeting disease progression.

Executive Summary：
Dr. Roland Dominic G. Jamora is an Associate Professor 4 and the current Executive Officer and Vice-Chair for Research of the Department of Neurosciences, UP College of Medicine. He is graduate of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine. He did his Adult Neurology Residency Training at the Philippine General Hospital, where he was the chief resident during his senior year. Dr. Jamora then pursued subspecialty training on Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders at the National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore with Prof. Louis Tan and Prof. Eng-King Tan. He also has a PhD in Health Sciences (by Research) from the UP College of Medicine, the first graduate of the said program.

He was a former president of the Movement Disorder Society of the Philippines. At present, he is a Board of Governor of the Philippine Neurological Association, the Secretary-Elect of the Asian Oceanian Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, and a Board of Director of the Asian Pacific Society for Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Surgery.

He has been invited to give talks locally and abroad. Dr. Jamora is also a well-published researcher with numerous publications on neurology and movement disorders. He has published extensively on X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism, a movement disorders only found among Filipinos.

Lecture Abstract：
X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a neurodegenerative condition with no known cure. It is only found among Filipino males (sometimes females) with maternal ancestry from Panay Island. Oral medications and botulinum toxin therapy have been used. While deep brain stimulation has been very useful in controlling the symptoms of XDP, not all patients can undergo it. Thus, we started looking into the utility of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound in XDP. The Philippine experience on the use of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound in XDP will be presented.

Executive Summary：
Dr. Chang specializes in stereotactic & functional neurosurgery and his main interest is the neuromodulation of the central nervous system with new innovative techniques (electrical stimulation, focused ultrasound and etc).

Since 1993, Dr. Chang has published more than 270 academic papers in SCI(E) journals around the world.
He has been selected as the co-author of prominent neurosurgery textbooks more than 8 times, and he has authored countless domestic papers and textbooks.

Currently Dr. Chang serves as a section editor of World Neurosurgery which is an official journal of World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS). He is also a member of the editorial board for the official journal of World Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN) as well as the official journal of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS).

In addition to his various editorial duties, Dr. Chang served as the president of many academic societies such as Korean Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery (KSSFN, 2014), Korean Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (KSTU, 2014-2018), Korean Neurosurgical Society (KNS,.2016-2018), International Society for Reconstructive Neurosurgery (ISRN, 2005-2009), Asian Australasian Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery (AASSFN, 2011-2013) and World Society for Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN., 2019-2022).
And he is currently serving as the 1st president of Asian Pacific Society for Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Surgery (2023 - )

And he is working at Korea University Anam hospital from March of 2024.

Lecture Abstract：
The surgical treatment of medically refractory psychiatric disorders by ablative surgical techniques such as cingulotomy, capsulotomy has considerable controversy for a variety of scientific, social and philosophical reasons. The recent resurgent interest of psychosurgery started by the active utilization of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders.
Currently, because the anatomical and neurochemical substrates of brain function in health controls and disease patients are being elucidated by various functional neuroimaging techniques, the new therapeutic techniques by using the neuromodulatory mechanism are investigating as potential treatment modalities. Also the criticism regarding ablative surgical techniques are becoming less valid due to the innovation of the surgical techniques. Furthermore, by making more precise targets with advanced new innovative surgical technique like MR guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), now ablative or neuromodulatory surgical techniques enable to demonstrate not only reduced side effects but also the improvement of outcomes for medically refractory psychiatric disorders.
The aim of this presentation is to review the current MRgFUS surgical techniques and the potential complications along with the procedures in the treatment of medically refractory psychiatric disorders. As well, we would like to discuss about the current limitations and emerging technical issues of the current MRgFUS surgical techniques.

Executive Summary：
Dr. Yi-Jen Guo graduated from the School of Medicine at Chung Shan Medical University and completed her neurological residency at Taichung Veterans General Hospital (VGHTC). In 2018, she trained in DBS programming at the Movement Disorders Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Grenoble, France, as a visiting doctor. From September 2022 to August 2023, she conducted research on STN DBS local field potential analysis at the Human Motor Control and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Stanford University, USA, as a visiting scholar.

Dr. Guo is currently the Director of the Center for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Her primary academic interests include olfactory function in Parkinson’s disease, neuroimaging in movement disorders, and electrophysiological analysis of STN DBS in Parkinson’s disease.

Lecture Abstract：
Non-motor symptoms (NMS) are prevalent and disabling in Parkinson’s disease (PD). While deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proven effective for treating motor symptoms, its effects on non-motor symptoms remain insufficiently understood and controversial. Bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS has been reported to reduce total scores on the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) and the Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQ), with improvements observed in domains such as sleep, miscellaneous symptoms, urinary and sexual function, and attention/memory.
Imaging and electrophysiological biomarkers have been explored to predict non-motor symptom outcomes. Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis has revealed that preserved microstructure in specific regions—such as the right insular cortex, right putamen, right cingulum, and bilateral corticospinal tracts—is associated with greater postoperative improvements in non-motor symptoms, particularly in sleep, attention/memory, urinary symptoms, and apathy.
Local field potential (LFP) studies have shown that beta-band activity correlates with nociception and sleep disturbances, while theta- and alpha-band activity may reflect neurocognitive symptoms, including depression and impulse control disorders.
In this brief talk, we will present updates on these topics and share preliminary findings from our STN-DBS PD cohort.

Executive Summary：
Dr. Chun-Hwei Tai serves as an attending physician in the Department of Neurology at NTUH since 2000.He is a neurologist with special interests in the surgical treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders. Dr. Tai received his training on deep brain stimulation (DBS) in both NTUH and University Hospital Center (CHU) of Joseph Fourrier University, at Grenoble, France (Professor Alim-Louis Benabid). Dr. Tai also engages in basic basal ganglia researches in INSERM U318 / CNRS U5543 in France (Dr. Abedelhamid Benazzouz and Dr. Erwan Bezard) and in Taiwan (Dr. Chung-Chin Kuo). Dr. Tai developed the movement disorder surgical program with Dr. Sheng-Hong Tseng and Dr. Ruey-Meei Wu, in the Center for Parkinson and Movement disorders in NTUH. Dr. Tai is currently the clinical associate professor in neurology at National Taiwan University and also a Council member of Taiwan Movement Disorder Society.

Lecture Abstract：
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus internus (GPi) is an established therapy for advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), offering substantial motor benefit when medications alone are insufficient. However, conventional DBS (cDBS) delivers continuous stimulation at fixed parameters, regardless of fluctuations in neural activity or symptom severity. This open-loop approach may cause periods of overstimulation, unnecessary energy consumption, and limited adaptability to disease progression. Adaptive DBS (aDBS) represents a paradigm shift, using a closed-loop framework in which stimulation is dynamically modulated in response to real-time physiological feedback. In aDBS, neural or physiological signals are continuously recorded, analyzed, and used to adjust
stimulation timing and parameters, enabling treatment that more closely matches the patient’s moment-to-moment needs. The development of clinically effective aDBS requires four key elements: (a) Biomarker identification — selection of stable, disease-relevant signals such as beta-band oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus that correlate with motor impairment; (b) Sensing-and-stimulation algorithms — rapid signal processing to decide when and how to stimulate; (c) Dynamic stimulation parameters control — real-time adjustment of amplitude, frequency, pulse width and even polarity of stimulation for optimal efficacy; and (d) Artificial intelligence integration — machine learning to enhance pattern recognition, predict symptom fluctuations, and continuously refine control strategies. Early clinical studies have shown that aDBS can improve motor performance, reduce total stimulation time, lessen side effects, and decrease battery consumption compared to cDBS. As sensing-enabled neurostimulators and computational methods advance, aDBS has the potential to deliver truly individualized neuromodulation, adapting not only to daily symptom variation but also to long-term disease evolution. In brief, aDBS addresses major limitations of current DBS therapy, offering a more efficient, precise, and patient-specific approach. With continued technological and clinical progress, aDBS is poised to become a cornerstone in the future management of Parkinson’s disease.

Executive Summary：
Dr. Young-Min Shon accomplished his neurology specialist training at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, completing his residency from 1997 to 2001. He has served as Professor in the Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Section, Epilepsy Neuromodulation Division since 2016, and currently serves as Director of the Institute of Samsung Smart Healthcare since April 2023. He holds the position of Chair of the National Epilepsy Support Center, designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea, since May 2025.
Dr. Shon was Academic & Planning Director of the Korean Epilepsy Society (KES) from 2015 to 2022, and currently serves as a Board member of the Social Commission in KES. He has been an active member of various professional organizations, contributing significantly to epilepsy research and clinical practice in Korea.
Dr. Shon pioneered deep brain stimulation (DBS) for epilepsy control in Korea, performing his first anterior thalamic DBS procedure in 2005. Since then, he has performed more than 120 DBS procedures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. He established comprehensive facilities for multimodal neuroimaging and SEEG interpretation, focusing on translational research with novel neuromodulation devices, including transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation and preclinical various kinds of neurostimulation modalities.
Research Interests:
Epilepsy neuromodulation and deep brain stimulation with advanced targeting paradigms. His research team has established promising protocols controlling seizures through anterior thalamic and hippocampal stimulation. Current research focuses on multimodal neuroimaging for optimal DBS targeting, translational studies with novel neuromodulation devices, and closed-loop stimulation systems for personalized epilepsy treatment.

Lecture Abstract：
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN) is an established, durable therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). This lecture reviews long-term ATN DBS outcomes, focusing on recent advances in maximizing efficacy and ensuring cognitive safety, while also considering the future of neuromodulation.

Long-term studies confirm ATN DBS provides median seizure reductions up to 69-75%, though patient outcomes vary. To improve consistency, our work in the Journal of Neurosurgery used advanced analysis to identify an optimal target. We found active contacts within the anterior center (AC) of the ATN yield significantly greater seizure reduction. Critically, this data-driven approach allows for the conversion of initial non-responders into responders by adjusting stimulation contacts closer to this efficacious "hot spot," demonstrating that outcomes depend on both precise placement and meticulous programming.

Cognitive safety is a paramount concern. Our comparative study in Epilepsia Open provides profound reassurance, showing no evidence of significant cognitive decline in patients after long-term ATN or hippocampal DBS. This cognitive stability was achieved alongside substantial seizure reductions (73-77% in disabling seizures). This pivotal finding suggests the choice of DBS target can be guided by the patient’s seizure network, without an overriding fear of differential cognitive risk, enabling a more tailored therapeutic approach.

In conclusion, ATN DBS is a durable, effective, and cognitively safe therapy. The current state-of-the-art is optimizing outcomes through precise, data-driven targeting. The future lies in personalized neuromodulation, integrating patient-specific connectivity, neural sensing, and adaptive closed-loop algorithms to offer renewed hope for patients with intractable epilepsy.