- May 7, 2018
- Posted by: PharmaScroll
- Category:
Melbourne scientists have discovered a unique brain signal that will act as a homing device, making deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson’s disease and other conditions more accurate, more effective, and less confronting for the patient.
As per a recent study published by Bionics Institute, Bionics Institute clinicians and researchers have recorded and studied the brainwaves of 19 patients during surgery—14 with Parkinson’s disease and five with a condition called essential tremor. They discovered that the part that they’re targeting produces a unique brain signal that can be used to guide the surgeon. This discovery will enable the surgery to be performed without the need for the patient to be awake.
“Deep brain stimulation can dramatically improve the quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease as it alleviates its three major debilitating symptoms: tremors, stiffness and slowed movement,” says Hugh McDermott, one of the study’s authors and an expert on medical bionics and implanted devices.
Implanting the electrodes accurately is challenging. Missing the target region by a millimetre can cause side effects and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
Wesley Thevathasan, a clinician involved in the study, expects this brain signal will allow surgical teams to improve the accuracy of electrode implantation, and perform the operation more quickly and efficiently.
“I have many patients who could benefit greatly from deep brain stimulation but are dissuaded by the thought of being awake during the operation,” he explains. “The prospect of being able to have the procedure whilst asleep and having a specific homing signal to improve the accuracy of electrode placement is vitally important.”
One of Wesley’s patients, Grant Rowe, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease ten years ago, says he values research that helps people live well with Parkinson’s disease while the search for a cure continues.
“It’s a surreal experience being awake for surgery, cracking jokes with your doctor while he’s digging around in your head. But I can now tell my friends that my own brainwaves are advancing science,” he says.
“It’s made such a difference to my daily life—I’m human again. I can put sugar in my cup of tea without spilling it, and my mum says she can now hug me without it feeling like she’s hugging a statue.”
The researchers believe they will be able to take their discovery further and create a device that will detect changes in the brain signal and adjust the treatment in real time, responding to the patient’s current condition and the severity of their symptoms.
The team worked with clinical partners St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and the Austin Hospital. Thank you also to supporters the Colonial Foundation, St Vincent’s Hospital Research Endowment Fund, the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Lions Foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Support Program.
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News Source: http://www.bionicsinstitute.org/news/media-latest-discovery-reported-saturdays-paper/
Image Source: https://www.leafscience.com/2017/11/17/cbd-parkinsons-disease/