I couldn't access the mouse video w/out formatting. I sent it separately.
There is an ad at first but it only lasts a few seconds. Duke's Dr.
Nicolelis is in it with the mouse.
Ray
From: rayilynlee
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2009 11:50 AM
To: parkinsn
Subject: spinal stimulators for PD within few years
Taming Parkinson's With Electric Pulses Through the Spine
Parkinson's patients could one day find relief from their symptoms by
wearing a device on the backs of their necks that sends steady pulses of
electricity up their spinal cords and into their brains, according to a new
study. Researchers tested the technology on lab rats and mice that were
nearly immobilized with Parkinson's-like symptoms, and saw an immediate and
dramatic effect. As long as a mild current flows up their spines and into
their brains, the animals regain the ability to scamper around their cages,
as if they were normal.. [Lead researcher Miguel] Nicolelis added that the
procedure was now being tested on monkeys, and "if it succeeds, human
clinical trials could begin in the next few years" [The New York Times].
Some Parkinson's patients have already found relief from their symptoms with
deep brain stimulation, in which tiny electrodes are surgically implanted in
their brains to make a "brain pacemaker," but this new experiment was the
first to try a less invasive form of neural stimulation. If the findings are
confirmed in humans, scientists say, the procedure could dramatically
improve treatment for the disease by making electrical therapies safer and
more broadly available [Technology Review].
Parkinson's progressively kills brain cells that produce dopamine, a
message-carrying chemical associated with movement. Dopamine replacement
drugs can delay symptoms for a while but there is no good treatment and no
cure.. In healthy people, neurons fire at different rates as information is
sent between the brain and the body to initiate motion. Nicolelis said the
problem in Parkinson's disease is that neurons become scrambled and begin
firing all at once [Reuters].
Deep brain stimulation is believed to work by interrupting that synchronized
firing and restoring normal neural rhythms. In the new study, published in
Science, researchers found that tiny, paper-thin electrodes that are
implanted in the spine and touch the outside of the spinal cord have a
similar effect. A video of an experiment shows that when the current is
switched on, the rat immediately begins to move freely around its cage.
Spinal cord stimulation has previously been used to treat such medical
conditions as chronic pain, spasticity, and strokes. But although the
technology has been well tested on humans, its benefits for Parkinson's
remain to be seen. An expert on stimulation theories who was not involved in
the research, Dr. Rodolfo Llinás, said the treatment "makes good sense," but
he added: "How successfully it will translate to humans is an important
issue. The human spinal cord is much more complex than the rodent
counterpart, and long-term stimulation might result in nasty secondary
effects" [The New York Times].
Related Content:
80beats: Obsessive Compulsive Sufferers May Find Relief With a "Brain
Pacemaker"
80beats: For Treating Parkinson's, A "Brain Pacemaker" Beats Out Medication
Image: Science/AAAS
March 20th, 2009 4:25 PM Tags: deep brain stimulation, Parkinson's
by Eliza Strickland in Health & Medicine | 1 comments | RSS feed | Trackback
>
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
rbrown@xxxxxxxxx
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