brain stimulation depth presents itself as a promising alternative to medication to correct the symptoms of Parkinson disease like tremors. This surgical technique improves motor performance by 70% and reduces drug treatments by 40 to 60%. These good results have been observed in patients with University Hospital of Saint-Etienne in France. Deep brain stimulation has been practiced there since May 2015 after being invented at the University Hospital of Grenoble.
At Saint-Etienne University Hospital, two patients with Parkinson’s disease benefited from deep stimulation. After a first successful intervention a year ago, a second patient was operated on in June 2016 at the Saint-Etienne University Hospital and is currently being followed by the neurology department.
The CHU of Saint-Etienne affirms that the results are “stable over time and persist for at least 5 years after the operation”, with a notable improvement in the patient’s quality of life.
Two electrodes in the brain to correct Parkinson’s symptoms
The surgery takes place under general anesthesia. It consists of implanting two electrodes in the brain (one electrode in each hemisphere). These are connected to a stimulator (or electric battery) placed under the skin in the chest or stomach. “The electrodes are positioned in a small structure located deep in the brain, the subthalamic nucleus, which intervenes in the regulation of movements and whose stimulation makes it possible to correct the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease”, explains the CHU of Saint Etienne.
Deep brain stimulation could apply to other disabling neurological (essential tremor, dystonia) or psychiatric (obsessive-compulsive disorder) diseases.
There are 8,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease each year in France. It affects 2% of the population after 60 years.
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