A simple device that stimulates the spine has given new hope to Parkinson's patients, writes JOHN VON RADOWITZ.
A SIMPLE AND CHEAP device that stimulates the spinal cord with electricity could bring new hope to sufferers of Parkinson’s disease, it has been claimed.
Early research in mice and rats using the approach has proved dramatically effective.
Experts believe if the technique works in humans it could provide a passport to normal living for thousands of Parkinson’s patients.
The progressive disease affects motor nerves in the brain, causing tremors, loss of balance and muscle stiffness.
Drugs can reduce symptoms in the early stages but then cease to be effective.
About 120,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson’s, with 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year. One radical remedy for the condition is deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves inserting carefully placed electrodes deep into the brain.
But the treatment is costly, invasive and not suitable for everyone.
The new stimulation therapy, targeting the spinal cord instead of the brain, would be much easier and cheaper to administer.
Researchers in the US tested a spinal stimulation device on rats and mice with depleted levels of the brain chemical dopamine, whose symptoms mimic those of Parkinson’s.
When the device was turned on, their slow, stiff movements disappeared and they began to behave like healthy animals.
Improved movement was typically seen within 3.35 seconds.
The scientists applied varying levels of electrical stimulation with and without accompanying drugs. When the device was used without additional medication, the animals were 26 per cent more active.
Coupling the stimulation with drugs produced even better results. Only two doses of the drug L-DOPA were needed to banish symptoms compared with five doses when the medication was used by itself.
Prof Miguel Nicolelis, from Duke University in North Carolina, who led the research, said: “We see an almost immediate and dramatic change in the animal’s ability to function.
“Moreover, it is easy to use, significantly less invasive than other alternatives to medication, such as deep brain stimulation, and has the potential for widespread use in conjunction with medications typically used to treat Parkinson’s disease.”
The concept, described at the weekend in the journal Science, emerged from work on epilepsy.
One effective therapy for treating epilepsy involves stimulating the peripheral nerves facilitating communication between the spinal cord and the body. In a healthy person, neurons fire at varying rates as information is transmitted between the brain and body to trigger normal movement.
Motor neurons in Parkinson’s patients are thought to become “jammed” into a state in which they fire in synchronised oscillations. Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord appears to promote a normal firing pattern.
A practical device would be similar to a spinal cord stimulator now used to treat chronic pain, says Nicolelis.
Small leads implanted over the spinal cord would be connected to a portable generator, which could be implanted below the skin.
“If we can demonstrate that the device is safe and effective over the long term in primates and then humans, virtually every patient could be eligible for this treatment in the near future,” Nicolelis added.
His team is working with Brazilian scientists to test the new procedure in monkeys prior to launching clinical trials.
Dr Kieran Breen, director of research and development at the Parkinson’s Disease Society, in Britain said: “These initial studies have been carried out in animals. But if they become possible for people with Parkinson’s, it could greatly increase the range of treatment options available for the condition.”
– (PA)