Deep Brain Stimulation Device Records Local Field Potential for Individualized Treatment of Parkinson Disease

The next-generation deep brain stimulation (DBS) system and device (Percept PC Neurostimulator; BrainSense; Medtronic, Santa Monica, CA) allows clinicians to record local field potentials around implanted electrodes that deliver therapeutic neurostimulation for Parkinson disease (PD), enabling more data-driven treatment. 

Individuals treated with the device first receive comprehensive and personalized medical and treatment assessments to determine if DBS is an appropriate choice. For those who wish to update an older implanted Medtronic DBS system, their existing brain leads are compatible with the device which can replace their currently implanted device.

"Many patients with PD may be good candidates for deep brain stimulation surgery," said neurologist Melita Petrossian, MD, medical director at Pacific Movement Disorders Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. "It is a way to reduce "off" time, increase the amount of time the medication is working—"on" time, reduce tremor and reduce dyskinesias, which are the involuntary movements related to treatment." 

The DBS device is placed under the skin of the chest and connects to electrodes implanted in the brain that provide electrical stimulation the area of the brain that controls movement. Critical feedback is provided to optimize therapy  and benefits include improvements in tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and overall quality of life.

"We are thrilled and honored to be able to provide this breakthrough implant device to our patients," said neurosurgeon Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD, director of Restorative Neurosurgery and Deep Brain Stimulation Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. "This device allows us to not only deliver therapeutic electrical stimulation to the patient, but to also record activity in the brain. Over time we will understand the signals coming from the brain in different conditions and relate certain signals to symptoms. We can adjust the brain stimulation the patient receives based on the data that are recorded by the device and correct the patient's misfiring brain signals. This stabilizes the neural activity, allowing symptoms such as tremor or rigidity to disappear, thereby helping the patient to feel much better."