Mini-electrode against tremor in Parkinson's

Better quality of life of Parkinson's patients through miniature electrode?

07/25/2014

Doctors at the Inselspital Bern, together with engineers from the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, have developed a mini-electrode that could shake off Parkinson's tremor. The currently available brain pacemakers have strong side effects such as muscle spasms. By contrast, the new mini-electrode is designed to stimulate only those brain regions that cause the tremor.

Mini-electrode does not trigger muscle spasms in Parkinson's patients
Many Parkinson's suffer from an involuntary tremor, Parkonson's tremor, which results from the mutual tension of opposing muscles. Mostly, the tremor is relatively slow, decreases in motion and is stressed on one side. If medication does not provide the desired relief, it is possible to use a brain pacemaker. These are electrodes that deliver small surges to the affected brain areas on command of the patient and thus reduce the tremor. The method as „Deep brain stimulation“ (DBS), but also has unpleasant side effects: The stimulation of large brain areas can violent muscle spasms occur. Psychiatric side effects have also been documented in recent years, including mild cognitive decline, depression, (hypo-) mania, and personality changes. To put an end to these undesirable effects, scientists at the Inselspital, together with engineers from the EPFL, have been working on a mini-electrode since 2007, which specifically stimulates only the brain areas responsible for the tremors.

They developed a few square millimeters small mini-electrode with three selectively switchable current contacts, which prevents muscle spasms. So far, the mini-electrode has been used in 13 patients. DBS is only suitable for people who do not find relief with medication.

„10 to 15 percent of sufferers could benefit from this medical advance“, says Research Director Claude Pollo from the Department of Neurosurgery of the Inselspital. With early surgery, there is even the chance to return to work. Other applications for the mini-electrode are epilepsy, dystonia, other types of tremor and psychiatric disorders, Pollo explains.

„This new approach opens the door to improved deep brain stimulation therapy“, The scientists summarize their findings in the British specialist magazine „Brain“ together.