In a new clinical trial, Vanderbilt researchers hope they’ll be able to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease with a device that uses electric current to stimulate the brain.
The device is already used in patients with advanced Parkinson’s, but Vanderbilt will be the first to use the device in the early stages of the degenerative neuro-muscular disease. Parkinson’s occurs when cells in the brain start to die that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control body movements.
Director of Vanderbilt’s Movement Disorders Clinic, Doctor David Charles, says they’ve never been able to slow the progression of the disease.
“The scientific question is if the device is applied early, could it change the course of Parkinson’s disease? Here’s one thing we know about Parkinson’s disease for sure. It’s slowly progressive in every case, and we don’t have any treatments that offer a cure and can slow down the underlying loss of the brain cells that are dying.”
People with Parkinson’s suffer from tremors or shaking, loss of facial movements, balancing problems and muscle stiffness. Using the technology developed in pace makers, the device sends gentle electrical current through electrodes planted in the brain to help restore muscle mobility.
The trial will involve 30 patients and will cost about 1-point-5-million dollars.
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