Parkinson’s Disease
- Home
- Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease
I have specialty training in treating movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD) with deep brain stimulation (DBS).
PD is a progressive movement disorder caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing brain cells, particularly within a certain region of the brain (the substantia nigra). PD has 3 hallmark symptoms:
- Tremors
- Rigidity of the arms and legs
- Slowed movements (bradykinesia)
There are many other symptoms of PD, and subtypes of PD which can have more of one symptom over others. There are also separate conditions which can mimic PD, but must be managed differently. It is important to seek care from a qualified neurologist to distinguish between these conditions and treat them appropriately.
The mainstay of therapy for PD is medications, particularly dopamine-promoting medications. However, over time, medication dosage and frequency increase; and patients must use elaborate dosing strategies, or develop side effects like on-off fluctuations which are disabling in themselves. At this stage, certain patients qualify for surgical options like DBS.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is effective for treating the symptoms of PD in certain patients, and is the only procedure that modulates (rather than destroys) a part of the brain. DBS treats the same symptoms of PD that dopamine medications help to treat: tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. The improvement in quality of life after DBS is dramatic: many of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s nearly disappear, literally at the push of a button. It’s important to note that DBS does not treat speech problems, gait/balance problems, or cognitive decline that sometimes accompany PD.
If you have Parkinson’s Disease, consider speaking to your provider about surgical options. Referrals for DBS surgery are made through a neurologist with specialized training in movement disorders. There are several well-qualified movement-disorder neurologists in Central Texas; a list is available here.
One example of a DBS system showing batteries, DBS wires, and programming platform. (please note Dr. Kamath has no financial relationship with any particular vendor).