Deep brain stimulation is a technique developed in Grenoble by Professor Benabid’s team at the end of the 1980s. It aims to reduce symptoms such as tremors or muscle rigidity by stimulating a specific area of the brain with an electric current. located under the thalamus. Electrodes are connected to a battery implanted under the collarbone. The system resembles the cardiac pacemaker. The operation itself can last from 6 to 15 hours. Subsequently, drug treatment is gradually reduced. The patient needs 6 to 12 months for his body to fully adapt to these changes and for his motor status to stabilize. People operated on generally recover from 30% to 90% of their resources. However, the stimulation will not prevent the progression of the disease.
Who does this concern?
Only 10 to 15% of patients can use stimulation. Most often, they declared the disease before the age of 70. The drug treatment has generally been effective for them, but the more time passes, the more it becomes ineffective during the day. The patient should not have any other health problems. Stimulation is not indicated for people who have memory and concentration problems. 20 of the 23 French University Hospital Centers (CHU) perform these procedures. Among these, we find the hospitals of Lille, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Clermont-Ferrand, Strasbourg, Rennes, Nantes, La Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris… The operation is reimbursed by Social Security.
The research is progressing
After this major advance in brain stimulation, the hopes of patients are now based on other promising techniques. Among these, gene therapy or neuron transplantation. The aim of these treatments will be to stop the progression of the disease or to replace the missing neurons.