Improving the quality of life of patients with neurological disorders, using innovative, multifaceted and intensive scientific methods, is the latest stage of brain stimulation based treatment undertaken at the International Center for Neurological Restoration (CIREN).
A panel of directors of the five internationally recognized clinics dedicated to specific neurological conditions at the center, led by the director of this public health institution, Dr. Tania Margarita Cruz, explained to national and international press the various programs used in this field, which are always supported by technicians, using comprehensive multidisciplinary teams that bring together up to 13 senior specialists.
The work begins following an evaluation, which includes direct examinations by scientists and the use of cutting edge equipment to investigate the brain and spinal cord, in the interests of each patient, i.e. providing personalized care, as each case is different.
The center’s five clinics specialize in different aspects. The first deals with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular diseases. This department has extensive experience in the multidisciplinary management of these diseases and attends the largest number of patients per year.
Static brain lesions in adults are also treated at CIREN, an increasingly important area given the aging population. This field includes conditions such as strokes and vascular dementia.
In addition, the center has a clinic specializing in pediatric neurology, which has the necessary technology and experienced medical personnel to offer treatment for various diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy in children.
Finally, but perhaps most important, is the neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders clinic, unique in the country and one of the first to be created in the West, which introduced this specialty in Cuba.
Reporters also had the opportunity on another occasion to visit an operating theater, surrounded by computers and electronic equipment, where a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease was undergoing minimal access surgery.
The surgical department was filled with a large group of specialists, including the neurosurgeons, working deep in the brain while the patient remained conscious, as well as neurologists, psychologists, anesthesiologists, and technical staff attending to the sensitive equipment and evaluating the patient’s reactions.
The results achieved using computer programs designed at CIREN for brain scanning tasks are such that the possibility of exporting this software is being explored, highlighting the expertise of dedicated personnel in this field and the utility of the product.
We spoke to two of a group of patients in the recovery area, who expressed their joy given their increased abilities following treatment. One was almost unable to swallow before surgery and was now happy to talk with reporters.
CIREN has over 20 years experience providing medical services in the country, during which 103,096 patients have been treated, including 84,671 Cuban and over 18,000 international patients. The center has also been honored with several prizes, awarded by both the Ministry of Public Health and the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Repairs have recently been made throughout the facility to ensure the best possible care for both Cuban and international patients, while technology was upgraded with the installation of equipment such as the ValedoShape (a spine assessment device for providing accurate analysis), a gait and balance assessment system, and robotic upper limbs.
Among the most recent additions to the center is a diagnostic and timely pain intervention service, using the latest technology and administered by top specialists, as well as a dental clinic offering a range of treatments. As one of the major medical research institutes that exist in Cuba, one of the features of CIREN is the close relationship it maintains with other centers, to speed up research, find cures and offer increasingly better results for patients.
