Deep brain stimulation good for Parkinson's: study

[baywax]

Deep brain stimulation involves electrodes stimulating the middle of the brain with pulses generated by a battery pack surgically placed like a "pace maker" in the patient's chest.

The results for Parkinson's sufferers has been tremendous where 71 percent of patients are better off (to the point of no tremors for an average of 6.4 hours straight during the day) compared to the 31 percent effectiveness of drugs targeting the disease.

Deep brain stimulation improves movement skills and quality of life in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease better than other medical treatments, but it also carries with it a higher risk for complications, a new study says.

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure that involves the implantation of electrodes that send electrical currents to specific regions in the brain. This electrical stimulation can reduce involuntary movements and tremors, which are common Parkinson's symptoms.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090106/parkinsons_treatment_090106/20090106?hub=Health

The complications include how the electrical activity generated for the implanted electrodes can disrupt the heart in patients. This is proving beneficial, however, for people up to ages like 70 who may even be in an advanced stage of the condition!

Edit: This is an American achievement by the way!
Study performed by Frances M. Weaver, Ph.D., of Hines VA Hospital, Hines, Ill., and colleagues.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090106161510.htm

[baywax]

About 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with PD each year, but getting an accurate count of the number of cases may be impossible because many people in the early stages of the disease assume their symptoms are the result of normal aging and do not seek help from a physician. Also, diagnosis is sometimes difficult and uncertain because other conditions may produce symptoms of PD and there is no definitive test for the disease. People with PD may sometimes be told by their doctors that they have other disorders, and people with PD-like diseases may be incorrectly diagnosed as having PD.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm

I don't know how many of these people are going to be motivated enough to have holes drilled in their skulls, risking infection, to stop what they probably see as simply the aging process. Many individuals would probably forego this operation thinking it was a government ploy to wiretap their brains, or because it really is a major operation.

The above link has a lot of information on this neurological condition.

[Monique]

I once saw a spastic individual on a television show who had a deep brain stimulation device. He looked absolutely normal with the device activated, but once he turned it off he lost all control and couldn't even communicate. It's an amazing technique, but not something trivial.

[baywax]

Here's the Michael J. Fox (CDN!) Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

http://www.michaeljfox.org/newsEvents_parkinsonsInTheNews_article.cfm?ID=260

There are reports of the stimulation interfering with decision making.

DBS implants affect the region of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus (STN), which also modulates decision-making.

"This particular area of the brain is needed for what's called a 'hold-your-horses' signal," Frank said. "When you're making a difficult choice, with a conflict between two or more options, an adaptive response for your system to do is to say 'Hold on for a second. I need to take a little more time to figure out which is the best option.'"

The STN, he said, detects conflict between two or more choices and reacts by sending a neural signal to temporarily prevent the selection of any response. It's this response that DBS seems to interrupt. DBS acts much like a lesion on the subthalamic nucleus. Frank's hypothesis predicted that DBS would negate the "hold-your-horses" response to high-conflict choices. Surprisingly, it actually sped up the decision-making process, a signature, he said, indicated of impulsive decision making.

The tendency toward impulsive behavior in Parkinson's patients is well-documented but only dimly understood. How is the STN involved in decision-making and why should things go awry when you stimulate it"

(same link as above)