24th March 2009 - New research
THE DISCOVERY OF HOW DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION AFFECTS PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Science [2009] Mar 19. [Epub ahead of print] (Gradinaru V, Mogri M, Thompson
KR, Henderson JM, Deisseroth K.) Complete abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a method of treating Parkinson's Disease
that involves the use of electrodes that are implanted into the brain and
connected to a small electrical device that can be externally programmed.
DBS is able to reduce the need for Parkinson's Disease drugs. For more
information go to Deep brain stimulation. It has always been uncertain as to
how DBS has such a strong effect on Parkinson's Disease. Researchers used
light to illuminate how the treatment works. They had suspected that brain
cells are stimulated or calmed, leading to reduced Parkinson's Disease
symptoms. Yet when they tried every type of brain cell they found that DBS
had no direct effect on them. It was instead found that the effect occurs,
not by stimulating cells, but by stimulating axons. Axons are what connect
nerve cells to other nerve cells, as can be seen in the diagram. Axons can
be more than a metre (several feet) in length. For more information go to
Axons. For more information go to the complete News report. The effect of
artificially stimulating brain cells can wear off in time, but so can
artificially stimulating axons as it is now known occurs with DBS.
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
rbrown@xxxxxxxxx
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