symptoms of parkinsons disease : Deep brain stimulation part 2

Why It Is Done

Deep brain stimulation may be used to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease, especially tremor, when they cannot be controlled with medication. It is considered the surgical treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease because it is more effective, safer, and less destructive to brain tissue than other surgical methods.

Deep brain stimulation of the thalamus is done to treat disabling tremor caused by Parkinson's disease, as well as essential tremor.

Procedures that stimulate the subthalamic nucleus and the globus pallidus are done to help control a wider range of symptoms (in addition to tremor) and are used more often than stimulation of the thalamus.

How Well It Works

Deep brain stimulation of the thalamus is effective in reducing tremor. It does not affect slow movement (bradykinesia), stiffness (rigidity), or other symptoms.1

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus or the globus pallidus may:1

Reduce tremor and, to a lesser extent, other symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Deep brain stimulation tends to have the greatest effect on tremor, but slow movement and stiffness can also be reduced and gait can be improved.
Reduce the on-off motor fluctuations associated with long-term use of levodopa. During the course of a day, you may have “on” periods when the levodopa controls Parkinson's symptoms and “off” periods when the medication stops working. Deep brain stimulation can reduce the length and severity of “off” periods.
Reduce the abnormal movements (dyskinesias) that are side effects of levodopa therapy.
The practical effects of deep brain stimulation depend in part on which area of the brain receives the stimulation. Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus reduces symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which allows people to reduce the amount of levodopa they are taking. Taking a lower dose helps reduce the abnormal movements (dyskinesias) that result from long-term levodopa therapy.

In contrast, stimulation of the globus pallidus reduces the dyskinesias associated with levodopa therapy, which allows people to increase the amount of levodopa they are taking without increasing side effects. In this case, the increased dosage of levodopa and the brain stimulation together help reduce tremor and other symptoms caused by Parkinson's disease.

By Healthwise