Brain ‘Zaps’ for Parkinson’s

Over the past 15 years or so, the usage of deep brain stimulation in patients with

Parkinson’s Disease has become increasingly popular and the procedure is accessible to a broad

range of patients with varying symptoms. Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder

that hinders motor control and mobility, as well as other neural signaling issues. Deep brain

stimulation entails a surgical procedure that places thin wires or electrodes into specific regions

of the brain which are calibrated to a device that is also intravenously implanted, called a

neurostimulator, that directs message transmission through the electrodes to the brain.

In this article, the author hones in on how DBS can be tweaked and customized to the

severity of patients’ symptoms. Several weeks following the procedure, DBS specialists can

program the neurostimulator device to alter its effects such as frequency of electrical messages

being sent to the brain. With this being said, the article disclaims that DBS should probably be

avoided in patients who have early onset Parkinson’s Disease, and suggests that it should be

implemented in patients who have been diagnosed for several years at the time of surgery; it is

suggested that patients should show positive response to medication that treats Parkinson’s, but

have persisting motor complications. DBS is relatively specific in what it treats; it works most

efficiently in improving motor issues such as tremors, stiffness, and slowness, but not so much

for imbalance. While Parkinson’s and dementia symptoms can sometimes align with one

another, DBS is not suggested for dementia patients as it can cause memory loss/ cognition to

decrease.

Overall, DBS has been widely implemented all over the world and is performed by many

doctors, and the technology is being developed by many medical device companies worldwide.

Most patients are able to eliminate their Parkinson’s medication long term as the DBS

mechanism compensates for it. There is a lot of research still ongoing to improve specificity and

of treatment of DBS devices for patients with varying symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease and

other neurodegenerative disorders, as well improvement of the neurostimulator device itself, to

ensure long-lasting battery life and more. If deep brain stimulation continues to gain popularity

and prove effectiveness, Parkinson’s Disease may have the potential to be treated indefinitely,

and the fatalities could likely dissipate. As Parkinson’s is a devastating and long-drawn out

disease, this treatment is creating a very hopeful prospect for the future of not only Parkinson’s

patients, but people who suffer from other neurodegenerative disorders as well.


Haley Sampson (9)


“Deep Brain Stimulation.” The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research |

Parkinson’s Disease, www.michaeljfox.org/deep-brain-stimulation. Accessed 28 Nov.

2023.

Comments

  1. Jill GobbiNovember 29, 2023 at 6:59 PM

    Hi Haley! This is certainly an interesting way to go about treating such a horrible disease that affects so many people. At first glance, DBS kind of reminded me of electroshock therapy. Of course, electroshock therapy has some really negative connotations but when I read a bit more into your post I realized it was not like that at all. This seems to be a much more targeted approach to using electricity to treat the brain. I wonder what there mechanism behind DBS's function in the brain is and how it affects neurons on the cellular level?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haley SampsonDecember 4, 2023 at 8:37 PM

      Hi Jill! I also have been super interested in electroshock therapy and different psychological therapies, and DBS certainly reminds me a lot of it. This technique has become very widely used and it seems pretty legit! Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousDecember 1, 2023 at 8:42 AM

    Hi Haley!
    One intriguing aspect you discussed is the customization of DBS to the severity of patients' symptoms. By programming the neurostimulator device, DBS specialists can alter the frequency of electrical messages being sent to the brain. It is suggested that DBS should be implemented in patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease for several years and show a positive response to medication but have persisting motor complications. It also conveys the personalized approach medicine is heading towards. However, the article cautions against using DBS in patients with early-onset Parkinson's Disease and those with dementia as it may lead to memory loss and decreased cognition. The potential of DBS to eliminate the need for long-term Parkinson's medication is a significant advancement in the field. The blog post rightly emphasizes the ongoing research aimed at improving the specificity of treatment and the technology of the neurostimulator device itself. I was wondering why this approach works best with Parkinson’s and not advised to work with other neurodegenerative diseases.
    -Carla B

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haley SampsonDecember 4, 2023 at 8:41 PM

    Hi Carla! So I think DBS has more of an emphasis/target on neurons that innervate motor responses as opposed to neurons that are more closely related to the memory component of the nervous system. Since the modulator itself can be programmed to increase the frequency of electrical signals in neurons, I think this has more of an effect on the motor functions of those neurons. I'm also not entirely sure! I would love to read more about this....

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousDecember 5, 2023 at 9:12 AM

    Hi Haley! This is a great post with some very interesting information. Parkinson's disease, like many neurodegenerative diseases is very devastating to those who have it and those around it. DBS is a really interesting way of treating it as the brain functions through electrical signaling. I wonder if longterm it allows these signals to reform.
    -Lyssa Cunha

    ReplyDelete

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