Parkinson's eased by electrical stimulation of the brain
-- Posted on :: Saturday, May 1 2010
Parkinson's eased by electrical stimulation of the brain
by NHS Choices
A brain 'pacemaker' can fight Parkinson's disease, according to The Independent. The newspaper said that combining deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant surgery with standard drug treatment has been found to give greater improvement in motor function and to reduce symptoms more than drug treatment alone.
The research behind this news was a trial involving 366 people with advanced Parkinson's disease that was not being adequately controlled with medication. It found that after a year, those who had a DBS implant had greater improvements in quality of life than those receiving medical treatment alone.This was particularly due to improvements in mobility, bodily discomfort and the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. However, DBS surgery was not without risks, and about 19% of patients had serious adverse effects, mainly infections.
This trial suggests that combining DBS with medication has some benefits beyond drug therapy alone. Importantly, though, DBS treatment is invasive and will not be appropriate for everyone with Parkinson's. This means that the potential benefits of DBS would need to be balanced against its risks for each patient.
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