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Electrical Brain Stimulation Reduces Tremor in ParkinsonÃs, Essential Tremor Patients Use of surgical implants providing electrical stimulation to the brain reduces tremor and other symptoms in ParkinsonÃs disease and essential tremor patients, according to several studies presented at the American Academy of NeurologyÃs 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting April 25-May 2 in Minneapolis, MN.
ParkinsonÃs disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease marked by tremors, stiff and rigid muscles and slowness of movement. Essential tremor is a chronic neurological condition where the only symptom is trembling of a body part, most often the hands.
Research presented includes: ∑ A study examining 25 ParkinsonÃs and essential tremor patients with implants placed in the thalamus area on one side of the brain. After three months, tremor had reduced by about 80 percent in the opposite side arm and tremors stopped for about half of the patients. "This is a safe and effective way to reduce ParkinsonÃs disease symptoms for people for whom medicines donÃt work," said study author William Ondo, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
∑ How long does brain stimulation work? A study of six patients with advanced ParkinsonÃs disease who received implants in both sides of the globus pallidus internus area of the brain found that electrical stimulation provides at least a two-year benefit for patients. Complications patients had been experiencing with medications, such as fluctuations during the day in their motor abilities, were eliminated. Other symptoms, such as tremor and rigidity of muscles, improved. "The safety, reversibility and adaptability to the patientÃs changing condition are major advantages of this technique compared to pallidotomy (brain surgery that destroys a portion of the globus pallidus to improve ParkinsonÃs symptoms)," said study author Harald Standhardt, MD, of Vienna General Hospital in Austria.
∑ A six-month study of six patients with severe ParkinsonÃs disease found that stimulation in the front part of the globus pallidus (the brain structure implicated in ParkinsonÃs disease) resulted in significant improvement in symptoms such as muscle rigidity and slowness of movement and a dramatic improvement in abnormal involuntary movements, according to study author Franck Durif, MD, PhD, of Clermont-Ferrand, France. Durif said the study shows that placement of the implant in the front part of the globus pallidus is as effective as placement in the rear, which is commonly used. "One of the advantages of the frontal target is that it is easily located by neuroradiological methods," he said.
∑ Stimulation on both sides of the thalamus for essential tremor patients is effective in reducing tremors and increasing patientsà abilities to complete daily activities, according to a six-month study of nine patients. Side effects were generally minor, according to neurologist Rajesh Pahwa of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
Essential tremor, the most common movement disorder, affects about four million people in the United States. ParkinsonÃs disease affects about 500,000 Americans.
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