Q: what are thd indications to dbs in essential tremor?

Variable: Not carved in stone, as we are assessing who would be the best candidate as time proceeds. My approach would include patients who seem not to respond well to current meds, whose tremors are so intense to be disabling, and those folks who just do not tolerate the adverse effects of their meds.

Question 1

does dbs work for depression?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Deep brain stimulation has been studied in patients with very severe, treat resistant depression (trd).  The number of people treated has been small but results are very promising.  Dbs can be in the form of an implantable device or via a new type of transcranial magnetic stimulation (tms) that can non-invasively reach deeper into the brain.  Studies are ongoing but it's not mainstream.

Question 2

does baclofen pump work on cervical dystonia? how much it costs to compare with dbs?

Accepted Answer

I found...: ...the results of studies of baclofen use in people who had spinal cord or head injuries, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. In these studies, baclofen was administered by injecting the medicine into the space between the brain/spinal cord and the layers of protective tissue that surround them and found to be quite useful. I could not find any studies comparing this to DBS.

Question 3

could a person operated with deep brain stimulation work in a printing factory?

Accepted Answer

Yes.: Patients that have undergone deep brain stimulation (dbs) surgery are able to do pretty much everything that they could do before the surgery. Trauma to the implantable pulse generator (ipg, or "battery") in the chest and the connecting wires should be avoided. Especially with recent advances in ipgs, there is limited interaction between environmental magnetic fields and the device.

Question 4

how does deep brain stimulation implant work?

Accepted Answer

Pacemaker for Brain: In many ways a deep brain stimulator access a pacemaker for the brain. It sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain. In select brain regions has provided remarkable benefits for otherwise treatment-resistant movement and affective disorders such as chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, tremor and depression.

Question 5

is it normal for people's personalities to change after dbs and dopaminergic medications?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: Deep brain stimulation (dbs) or medications may result in personality changes. The procedure involves passing electrode(s) through the frontal lobes into various targets in the brain to help alleviate Parkinson's symptoms. The frontal lobes are resposible for personality. Passing electrodes through older, somewhat atrophic, frontal lobes may certainly cause personality changes.

Question 6

would dbs patients benefit from azilect (rasagiline)?

Accepted Answer

Too early to tell: Deep Brain Stimulation might sensitize you to Azilect (rasagiline)

Question 7

what is the typical reduction in levodopa after dbs surgery?

Accepted Answer

None: By "none" I don't mean no reduction, I mean no typical. Any statistics on dose reduction after DBS are descriptive not predictive; i.e. they only average out the result of a large pool of patients. The individual patient needs individualized therapy. Dose reduction can range from 100% (rare) to none (much more common). Depends on both efficacy AND tolerability of the drug.

Question 8

is azilect (rasagiline) helpful after dbs for parkinsons?

Accepted Answer

Not clear: Azilect (rasagiline) and DBS has not been researched, and I would suspect it to be of limited value in most pts, as it is said to be potentially neuroprotective, and likely will work far better early in the course of Parkinson's disease.

Question 9

is dbs for parkinson's painful or uncomfortable?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The dbs wiring does usually create some level of discomfort during rapid head/neck movements.  This usually subsides with time and very few patients (<1%) complain of discomfort after 3 months.  Ask your neurosurgeon for more specific worries.

Question 10

what are thd indications to dbs in essential tremor?

Accepted Answer

Variable: Not carved in stone, as we are assessing who would be the best candidate as time proceeds.  My approach would include patients who seem not to respond well to current meds, whose tremors are so intense to be disabling, and those folks who just do not tolerate the adverse effects of their meds.

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Doctor answers about:

How does dbs work

A member asked:

Does dbs work for depression?

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Does baclofen pump work on cervical dystonia? how much it costs to compare with dbs?

A member asked:

Could a person operated with deep brain stimulation work in a printing factory?

A member asked:

How does deep brain stimulation implant work?

A member asked:

Is it normal for people's personalities to change after dbs and dopaminergic medications?

A member asked:

Would dbs patients benefit from azilect (rasagiline)?

A member asked:

What is the typical reduction in levodopa after dbs surgery?

A member asked:

Is azilect (rasagiline) helpful after dbs for parkinsons?

A member asked:

Is dbs for parkinson's painful or uncomfortable?

A member asked:

What are thd indications to dbs in essential tremor?

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