Benefits of Device Persist for Parkinson’s

Improvements from a brain implant treatment last for at least 3 years in people with Parkinson’s disease, a follow-up study finds. The study focused on treatment with deep brain stimulation. This involves implanting a device inside the brain. It uses current from a battery to stimulate one area of the brain. The study included 159 people. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group had the device implanted in an area called the subthalamic nucleus (STN). The others got the implants in a less-studied area called the globus pallidus interna (GPi). Both groups had similar improvements in symptoms such as tremors, muscle tone and speech. The follow-up found that people were still doing better 3 years after surgery. People receiving stimulus to the GPi region also had improvements in thinking and learning abilities. The journal Neurology published the study online.