Live Saturday, June 27, 2009
Treating Parkinson’s with Advanced Surgery

Guest: Craig van Horne, M.D., Ph.D.  Dr. van Horne is Chief of Neurosurgery at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and  is revolutionizing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a progressive treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. Many patients undergoing DBS are able to dramatically reduce or even eliminate their medications. Dr. van Horne’s efforts have improved the DBS procedure making it less time consuming and more comfortable.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain (central nervous system) that often impairs motor skills, speech, and other functions.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by muscle rigidity, resting tremor, a slowing of physical movement (bradykinesia) and, in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement (akinesia). Secondary symptoms may include high level cognitive dysfunction and subtle language problems. Parkinson's disease is both chronic and progressive.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a medical device called a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain. DBS in select brain regions has provided remarkable therapeutic benefits for otherwise treatment-resistant movement and affective disorders such as chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia.

For more information visit the National Parkinson Foundation

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