Early Brain Surgery for Parkinson's Disease

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) to replace widely used drugs like levodopa to treat Parkinson's disease. DBS can effectively treat early Parkinson's disease effectively without side effects of other drugs.

Function

• In DBS, a pulse generator in the chest sends electrical impulses to the brain through implanted electrodes. The substantia nigra (the center of the brain where movement is controlled) receives these impulses to control the uncoordinated movement caused by Parkinson's disease.

Procedure

• The patient is awake when the surgeon implants the electrodes in the brain to test the brain regions and make sure they are being put in the right spots.

Results

• A study led by Frances Weaver, Ph.D., reports Parkinson's patients have over four more hours of "on" time (time without movement problems) after DBS as opposed to other patients who did not undergo the procedure.

Complications

• A CNN Health report says the chances of post-surgery problems increase four-fold for DBS patients. Problems include infection, nervous system disorders and psychiatric problems like depression and anxiety.

Famous Ties

• Actor Michael J. Fox underwent a thalamotomy in 1998 for his Parkinson's disease. This type of surgery has similar effects as DBS but is irreversible.