New Parkinson's disease procedure seeks to improve current therapies
Parkinson's disease is a chronic disease caused by the death of neurons vital for the production of dopamine. Early treatment through dopamine replacement therapy can alleviate symptoms, which include tremors and difficulty with movement and balance, but its effectiveness diminishes over time. In severe cases electrical stimulation of certain brain structures is effective, but the surgery is highly invasive and precise.
In search of a better therapy, Miguel Nicolelis and fellow researchers at Duke University used JAX® Mice to help investigate the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in the spinal cord in alleviating symptoms. In the March 20, 2009, issue of Science, they write that stimulation through epidural electrodes was effective in restoring locomotive capability in both dopamine-depleted mice and rats with neuronal loss. When used in combination with dopamine replacement therapy, it allows for motor function recovery at far lower doses than is required without the stimulation. The technique is far easier to perform and less invasive than the brain surgery currently used.
More work remains to determine the exact mechanism through which movement is improved by this method. Nonetheless, its effectiveness in the preliminary research indicates that it may prove to be a viable new procedure for treating Parkinson's disease more effectively and less invasively than current techniques allow.
