Ya gotta watch this ---> Parkinson's: Deep Brain Stimulation

[rcjordan]

WTH? ? ? ? !!!! 

AWESOME The moment a retired British Royal Marine with Parkinson's disease sees his life change in seconds, thanks to the advanced technique of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
https://old.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/wyqlrk/awesome_the_moment_a_retired_british_royal_marine/

^{I've known people who had their brain split in half to counter Parkinson's and it only helped a bit.}

[ergophobe]

Wow! I have a friend and brother of a friend who have Parkinson's and are still living independently (both lifelong single males), but facing that that can't continue.

A little research. This apparently has a 95% success rate based on 150,000 patients.
https://www.stlukeshealth.org/resources/how-has-deep-brain-stimulation-benefitted-patients-parkinsons-disease

Long-term effects
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30660117/

It seems that the effect is biggest on tremors and less effective on other symptoms, but over 90% of the patients were still happy with it 10 years on. The one down side - the avg age was 61 and they say it is less effective with males and with older people, and my friend will be 80 in a couple months. Still... I'll ask him about it when I see him in October

[Rupert]

I come across parkinsons alot, and an over riding memory, is that I am often told I have to tell my muscles to move.  It a real "feet, move" and then they do.  Watched it several times.


This sounds great.

[littleman]

My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's this year.  The drugs they put her on have helped a lot, but this is the first I've learned about this treatment.  So far her symptoms are manageable.

[Rupert]

Sorry to hear that LM.

[rcjordan]

Sorry, LM.

About a year ago, I *think* I saw a vid about medical marijuana stopping tremors almost as dramatically. 

[ergophobe]

Sorry to hear that. I hope she continues to respond to treatment as long as possible.

[littleman]

Thanks guys.  So far she is doing fine.  Before she was diagnosed it was like she aged 10 years in a single year,  She lost a lot of weight and a lot of vitality, but she's gained back most of that.  She's 75.  I've mentioned the pot thing, but she didn't seem all that interested.  The regiment she's on is really working though, the shakes are way down.  It's a degenerative disease, but slow acting and she got it late in life.

[rcjordan]

Toe-tapping test evaluates fall risk in Parkinson's patients
https://techxplore.com/news/2022-08-toe-tapping-fall-parkinson-patients.html

[grnidone]

> it was like she aged 10 years in a single year, 

I have to imagine so!  The trembling muscles look like it would exhaust anyone.  I'm glad to hear she's found meds that help though.  The meds have come a long way in just 10 years.