NEWS - One-sided brain stimulation improves Parkinson's

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One-sided brain stimulation improves Parkinson's

Last Updated: 2004-11-03 16:08:27 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For people with advanced Parkinson's

disease, electrical stimulation through an electrode implanted in one

side of the brain produces long-lasting improvements in movement

difficulties on both sides of the body, a new study shows.

" If you can get nice benefit with unilateral deep brain stimulation, why

not do that and minimize the risk " associated with more extensive

surgery, Dr. Jay L. Alberts said in an interview with Reuters Health.

Then if the disease should progress, he said, the opposite side will

still be available for implantation of a second deep brain stimulation

device.

Currently, most surgeons perform bilateral procedures, Alberts

explained.

Alberts, with the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation and Research Center, and his

associates tested the manual dexterity of both hands of patients with

advanced Parkinson's disease who were given unilateral deep brain

stimulation devices. The devices were implanted on the opposite side to

the dominant hand, and were in place for 11 to 55 months.

The subjects all exhibited improvements in scores on a Parkinson's

disease rating scale when the electrodes were turned on, team reports in

the journal Motor Control. The patients also displayed better reaching

consistency and grip force, as well as decreased movement times.

The devices were also tested in two different regions of the brain --

known as the subthalamic nucleus and the globus pallidus. The procedure

normally involves subthalamic stimulation, but the researchers found no

evidence that one site was better than the other.

This is important, Alberts said, because " data suggest that stimulating

the subthalamic nucleus may increase certain neuropsychological

problems, such as depression and working memory deficits. " Hence,

implantation in this area should be avoided in patients with depression

or mild cognitive impairment.

" We hope this study opens up the possibility of deep brain stimulation

in the globus pallidus for other patients who might not ordinarily

qualify for stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, " he said.

SOURCE: Motor Control, October 2004.

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