Washington, United States, January 7: Researchers have brought hope to many living with the Parkinson's ailment, as they suggested that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is quite effective with the typical trembling and shaking symptoms along with slow movements.
The therapy, which comes with possibly no side-effects, can give a better lifestyle to people living with this condition.
A tiny electrical gadget is implanted under the chest through surgery and the electrodes in the brain are connected by wires. The device signals parts of the brain engaged in controlling muscle movements and is manufactured by Medtronic Inc located at Minneapolis.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 134 patients with the Parkinson's disease who were treated in a regular manner and another 121 patients who were given DBS.
About 71 percent of patients who got DBS showed better motor skills and were quite at ease doing their daily chores, became very active and were reported to be emotionally healthy too.
However, one patient died following internal bleeding in the brain due to a ruptured blood vessel after the implant surgery. It was also found that the patients from DBS group were 3.8 times more at risk of developing "serious adverse event" including infections after implant. But researchers explained that they coped up quickly.
Dr. William Marks, study leader and a neurologist from University of California at San Francisco, said: "The study provides the medical community with the highest class of evidence for the benefits of deep brain stimulation for properly selected patients. It may help patients whose symptoms are not well controlled by drugs."
Essentially known as a brain disorder, Parkinson's disease is incurable and with the passage of time, even the drugs do not seem to help anymore. Doctors explain that this medical condition arises when nerve cells controlling all muscle movements in the brain perish.
Perishing nerve cells lead to severe trembling, limb stiffness, slow movements and impaired motor skills and weak coordination. Patients with Parkinson's may find it tough to simply lift a book or wear a shirt.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted using DBS to treat Parkinson's in 2002 but very few patients are known to have undergone this therapy.
However, Marks cautioned that this treatment does not cure or control the disease. Also, non-motor skills like memory and speech are not affected by this.
Marks was a former consultant to Medtronic Inc, which also funded the study partly, along with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Michael Okun from the National Parkinson Foundation noted: "While the treatment is not appropriate for everyone with Parkinson's disease, "a surgery done on the right patient by the right team can have magnificent benefits that extend beyond what can be achieved with medicines alone."
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