Invention of a device to help Parkinson's patients

A scientific team has succeeded in developing a brain stimulation technique that has been used for several decades to treat Parkinson's disease. Its experiment on four patients revealed promising hopes for treating the disease, according to the American newspaper , The New York Times .

Traditional deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a procedure that involves delivering a mild electrical current to a specific part of the brain via an implanted device. The electrical current stimulates cells in the targeted area of the brain and improves the way they function, according to the Cleveland Abu Dhabi Medical website.

The new technique, which was tested on four patients, including 48-year-old American Sean Connolly, turns deep brain stimulation into a personalized treatment that tailors the amount of electrical stimulation to treat each patient's symptoms individually, without any pre-set criteria.

According to the research team, the new device, which resembles a pacemaker, picks up brain signals in a Parkinson's patient that indicate the development of a symptom, and then delivers the appropriate amount of electrical stimulation to stop it.

People with anxiety over the age of 50 may be twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease as their non-anxious peers, a new study shows.

The researchers found that for Connolly and the other three participants, the individualized treatment, known as adaptive deep brain stimulation, reduced the duration of the most bothersome symptoms to half the time they usually lasted.

The researchers noted that the new technology improved the quality of life of the trial participants, especially Connolly, while some experts predicted that versions of the new technology devices may be available within 5 or 10 years.

“The brain’s needs change moment by moment, hour by hour, week by week,” said Dr. Philip Starr, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco, the study’s lead author, who has worked on deep brain stimulation for decades.

"So our dream was to make these catalysts self-regulating," he continued.

Last January, it was revealed that a high-tech glove had been developed to help Parkinson's patients overcome tremors and shaking.

The glove helps patients maintain hand stability and control vibrations caused by Parkinson's disease, which causes sufferers to lose the ability to control things, such as writing clearly with a pen or holding a cup of coffee without spilling it.

The GyroGlove was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

A new study published in the journal Neurology has revealed a link between drinking coffee and a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Some patients have talked about how the glove helps stop vibrations that make simple tasks like getting dressed a challenge.

The World Health Organization defines Parkinson's disease as a degenerative brain condition associated with motor symptoms (slow movement, tremor, stiffness and imbalance) as well as other complications, including cognitive impairment, mental health disorders, sleep disorders, pain and sensory disturbances.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, there is no specific test to diagnose Parkinson's disease, but a doctor specializing in nervous system conditions (neurologist) diagnoses Parkinson's disease based on the medical history of the case, a review of the signs and symptoms of the disease that appeared, and the results of the neurological and physical examination.

Source: American Press