Helping patients with Parkinson's thanks to new treatment

   

Did you know that worldwide around 10 million people are affected by Parkinson's? Some even start showing symptoms at the age of 50! Imagine having to live without the ability to be able to button your own shirt, or walk on your own. That is the reality of patients dealing with severe symptoms of Parkinson's. This disease has no cure and alters patients lives forever, but new treatment, adaptive deep brain stimulation, can help slow symptoms down and manage them much easier.

What is Parkinson's?

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common neurologic disorder i.e. a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system , affecting around 1% of individuals older than 60. This disease is progressive and happens over time. Symptoms start showing slowly and gradually get worse. This disease is caused by the loss or death of neurons that produce dopamine and the presence of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites (abnormal clumps of protein found in the brain).

Common symptoms of Parkinson's are :

• Tremors
• Decreased dexterity
• Soft voice
• Less facial expressions
• Sleep disturbances
• Decreased sense of smell
• Feelings of weakness or malaise
• Slowness in thinking and others.

What causes Parkinson's?

The exact cause for Parkinson's is still unknown, however research has shown that genetics play a role as well as many environmental factors such as exposure to certain toxins such as herbicides or pesticides. Risk factors for Parkinson's include old age, genetics, exposure to toxins and also men are more likely to get sick from Parkinson's. 

How can we treat Parkinson's?

Treatment of Parkinson's usually includes taking certain drugs as a way to manage and slow down the symptoms of this disease. However, another way to manage this disease is through personalized deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS works by implanting electrodes into specific parts of the brain. The electrodes are connected to wires that send a constant stream of electrical signals which help with managing symptoms of Parkinson's. However, this type of treatment cannot adapt to the changing flow of stimulation in the brain and because of that it isn't the most effective treatment for Parkinson's. 

A team led by Dr. Simon Little and Dr. Philip Starr from the University of California have been developing adaptive DBS (aDBS). This technique is different from standard DBS because it constantly measures brain activity during movement. An experiment was conducted where patients used adaptive DBS and regular DBS interchangeably. Adaptive DBS compared to regular DBS showed significant improvement in participants symptoms along with the fact that the participants did not report any side effects when using aDBS. Other studies have shown the positive effects of using aDBS, and as recently as February 2025 aDBS has been approved by the FDA for use in the USA. This can lead to the easier managing of patients symptoms and can help them live longer without the negative effects of Parkinson's.

Sources :

1.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055#:~:text=In%20Parkinson's%20disease%2C%20nerve%20cells,leads%

2.https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/personalized-deep-brain-stimulation-parkinson-s-disease

3.https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/02/429506/new-treatment-can-adjust-parkinsons-symptoms-real-time