Patients with early Parkinsons disease who respond to drug therapy gain improvement in their symptoms and quality of life when they receive deep-brain stimulation from an implanted medical device, a study showed. Brain stimulation is now reserved for advanced Parkinsons patients with severe complications and inconsistent response to drug treatment. The findings suggest patients at an earlier stage of the disease may do even better, reaping benefits before the progressive neurological illness has eroded their physical function, social activity and professional lives. The researchers tracked 251 patients with Parkinsons for an average of 7.5 years after they were treated with drug therapy, or drugs plus deep-brain stimulation with Medtronic Inc.s Kinetra or Soletra devices. Quality of life improved significantly for those getting both treatments, while it worsened slightly for those given only drugs, according to the study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The observed difference between the treatment groups is thus due to an improvement among patients receiving neurostimulation, said the researchers led by Michael Schuepbach, from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie and Inserm in Paris. As a main benefit from the patients perspective, activities of daily living were improved among patients with neurostimulation … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;Medical Devices / Diagnostics Article Date: 14 Feb 2013 - 3:00 PST Current ratings for: Deep Brain Stimulation Effective In Early Parkinson's 4.25 (4 votes) 4 (1 votes) The study, led by Gnther Deuschl, a professor at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, and Yves Agid, a professor in neurology and experimental medicine at the Hpital de la Salptrire in Paris, France, is reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine on 14 February. The researchers conclude that DBS was more effective than medical treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease and early motor complications. It is not a cure, and it does not stop the disease from progressing, but in the right patients, it can significantly improve symptoms, especially tremors, and it can also relieve muscle rigidity. To perform DBS, the neurosurgeon drills a hole in the skull and inserts an electrode about 10 cm into the brain. The electrode delivers mild electrical signals that disrupt and block the brain impulses that cause Parkinson's symptoms. A wire under the skin connects the electrode to a battery implanted near the collarbone. DBS can be done on one or both … Continue reading →

By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Deep brain stimulation has been used for years to help relieve motor problems in people with advanced Parkinson's. Now, new research finds that the procedure may also help people in earlier stages of the disease. The treatment involves placing electrodes in specific parts of the brain. "So far, all studies have dealt with patients who had very severe disease," explained senior study author Dr. Gunther Deuschl, chairman of neurology at University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany. "The present group . . . are well within the spectrum of disease severity which has been treated with medication only. The surprising result was that even at this stage, the patients had a much better outcome after two years than those who were treated with medication alone." The report is published in the Feb. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Standard treatment for Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder marked by tremors and other movement problems, is a drug called L-dopa (Levodopa), which replaces depleted reserves of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Unfortunately, long-term use of L-dopa can result in severe swings in motor function. "After years of being on … Continue reading →

Over the past decade a kind of brain surgery known as deep-brain stimulation (DBS) has helped some Parkinson's disease sufferers develop better control of their physical movements. But the risks that come with the invasive procedurenot to mention the costskeep physicians and patients cautious. The treatment is usually indicated when medicine no longer addresses the neurodegenerative disorder's symptoms effectively. Now, a new study from European researchers indicates that deep-brain stimulation's benefits are just as promising for people in the earlier stages of Parkinson's."The conclusions of this study are really exciting," says David Charles, the chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Neuroscience Institute and director of the movement disorders clinic there. "Most likely it will be a transformative study in our understanding of when to apply deep-brain stimulation therapy in Parkinson's disease."Parkinson's disease is a disorder of progressive decline. The tremors, rigidity and difficulty moving are often treated with anti-Parkinson's medications such as levodopa at first. But as the disease marches forward, the benefits fall off. The same dose no longer lasts as long, patients experience unpredictable cycles in their ability to move, and struggle with excessive movements called dyskinesias that make their limbs jump and flail involuntarily. This stage of … Continue reading →

A treatment that involves inserting electrodes into the brain can improve Parkinson's symptoms even at early stages of the disease, research has shown. Currently, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is reserved for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who can no longer be treated with medication alone. The Earlystim study showed that DBS produced a 53% improvement in motor skills over a period of two years. In comparison, no change was seen in patients receiving the best drug treatment. Patients given DBS also saw a 30% improvement in various activities of daily life, including speech, writing, dressing and walking. Side effects from drug treatment, including uncontrollable movements, were reduced by 61%, according to the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Earlystim investigator Professor Gunther Deuschl, from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, said: "These results signal a shift in the way patients with Parkinson's disease can be treated, and prove that deep brain stimulation therapy can improve patients' quality of life even in the earlier stages of Parkinson's disease." The trial included 251 patients with Parkinson's disease at 17 centres in Germany and France. Dr Kieran Breen, from the charity Parkinson's UK, said: "This new study is the first compelling … Continue reading →

A treatment that involves inserting electrodes into the brain can improve Parkinson's symptoms even at early stages of the disease, research has shown. Currently, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is reserved for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who can no longer be treated with medication alone. The Earlystim study showed that DBS produced a 53% improvement in motor skills over a period of two years. In comparison, no change was seen in patients receiving the best drug treatment. LIKE HUFFPOST UK LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Patients given DBS also saw a 30% improvement in various activities of daily life, including speech, writing, dressing and walking. Side effects from drug treatment, including uncontrollable movements, were reduced by 61%. The findings were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Earlystim investigator Professor Gunther Deuschl, from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, said: "These results signal a shift in the way patients with Parkinson's disease can be treated, and prove that deep brain stimulation therapy can improve patients' quality of life even in the earlier stages of Parkinson's disease." The trial included 251 patients with Parkinson's disease at 17 centres in Germany and France. Dr Kieran Breen, from the … Continue reading →