DBS on Parkinson’s Disease By: Christopher Ross DeSanto BME 181 / February 11, 2010

What is Parkinson’s Disease ?

Parkinson’s Disease Neuro-degenerative Disorder Dopamine Deficiency Causes emotional and physical complications Affects Substantia Nigra

PhysiologyPhysiology of Parkinson’sParkinson’s

Current Treatments of Parkinson’s

No cure for Parkinson’s Most Parkinson’s patients are on a drug regimen Parkinson’s Disease medication target symptoms only No medication ensures life-long stability Most common drug today is Levodopa

Levodopa is converted into dopamine Does not produce dopamine receptive cells Does not stimulate cells to take in dopamine DBS is an alternative to Levodopa

Deep Brain Stimulation

What is DBS? A Deep Brain Stimulator is a device called a brain pace maker that is implanted into the brain. Connected to an IPG (implanted pulse generator) Sends electric pulses to the brain that stimulate dopamine production Placed on the VIM of the brain

DBS A reversible procedure Requires skull penetration Nodes placed directly on brain (lead) Lead carries the charge

Statistics 80% of patients experience little to no tremors after DBS use For some patients medication is still needed but for all it reduces dosage needed DBS has been reported to work for 4 to 6 years. Everyone responds differently Known to cause loss of feeling in face or limbs

How DBS Came To Be

Cures for Parkinson’s began in 1909 Involved dangerous lesions to the brain (lobotomies) 1947 created Stereo- encephalotome Placed electric nodes over VIM section of brain VIM still utilized today against Parkinson’s with DBS

Modern DBS Technology

New technology being made yearly Recently: RLS treatments Sleep Disorder cure Significant data has been found that it works better with those acute/ severe symptoms Modern Applications of DBS

Where I see DBS going...

Questions?