Symptom Relief

By Health Day

Story Created: Jun 21, 2012

Story Updated: Jun 22, 2012

Deep brain stimulation also known as DBS is a surgical procedure that is used to treat several disabling brain issues.

A new study... published in the journal Neurology- looks at whether DBS may help Parkinson patients over the long haul.

159 participants were randomly assigned to deep brain stimulations in two different parts of the brain. They were then asked to keep a diary of their motor symptoms for three years.

While past studies have had mixed results about which area of the brain benefits most from DBS, this research showed significant relief for patients who had surgery in both. Motor symptoms improved by 32% on average over the course of the study.

Medication use was allowed so more research is needed to figure out what role, if any, it played.

While there is no cure for Parkinson's, this study shows Deep Brain Stimulation can help provide relief from debilitating effects of the disease, like tremors.

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.

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