DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION: What is DBS?
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment for Parkinson’s Disease, essential tremor and dystonia. It has been FDA approved in the US since 1997 and there have been over 55,000 implants performed worldwide for the treatment of movement disorders. DBS can be thought of as a brain pacemaker. The surgery entails placing a small wire in the area of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease. The wire is then passed under the skin down to the chest under the collar bone where the pacemaker is implanted. This brain pacemaker system, continuously delivers an electrical stimulus to the affected regions of the brain. The electrical pulse is small and is not felt by the patient, however it is able to affect the activity of the brain to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
