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a woman lives with parkinson’s disease He played his clarinet while undergoing brain stimulation, giving surgeons immediate, audible evidence of the success of the procedure.
Dennis Bacon, 65, from Crowborough East SussexAs soon as the electric current was passed, he felt an immediate improvement in his finger movements.
Retired speech and language therapist to undergo deep brain stimulation (dbs) to deal with Parkinson’s symptoms, including bradykinesia and muscle stiffness.
Diagnosed in 2014, the condition previously affected her ability to walk, swim, dance and play instruments.
During the four-hour operation at King’s College Hospital, Professor of Neurosurgery Keumers Ashkan performed DBS to relieve symptoms while Ms Bacon remained awake.
DBS is a surgical procedure using electrodes implanted in the brain and is suitable for some patients with disorders such as Parkinson’s.
DBS provided immediate results on the operating table. Denise’s fingers immediately improved, allowing her to play the clarinet with ease.
Professor Ashkan said: “After a frame was placed over Dennis’s head with precise coordinates, holes half the size of a fivepence piece were drilled into Dennis’ skull, which acted as a sat nav to guide the electrodes into the correct position within the brain to be implanted.
“Once the electrodes were placed on the left side of Dennis’s brain, the current was turned on and immediate improvement was seen in the hand movements on his right side.
“When we implanted electrodes on the right side of his brain the same thing happened on the left side.
“As a keen clarinet player, Dennis was suggested to bring his clarinet to the operating theater to see whether the procedure would improve his playing ability, which was one of Dennis’ main goals for the surgery.
“After delivering the brain stimulation, we were pleased to see an immediate improvement in his hand movements and therefore an improvement in his playing ability.”
Ms Bacon, who played clarinet in the East Grinstead Concert Band until she had to stop five years ago because of Parkinson’s symptoms, was given a local anesthetic to numb her scalp and skull.
She said: “I remember my right hand being able to move more easily after the stimulation was applied, and this improved my ability to play the clarinet, which I was happy with.
“I’m already experiencing improvements in my ability to walk, and I’m eager to get back to the swimming pool and dance floor to see if my abilities there also improve.”
Ms Bacon opted for a rechargeable type of pulse generator battery, implanted in her chest, which can last up to 20 years before needing replacement.
It monitors his brain activity and can help automatically adjust electrical stimulation when needed.
Professor Ashkan said: “Deep brain stimulation is one of the most effective, evidence-based and long-lasting treatments for controlling the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, improving tremors, stiffness and slowing of movement.
“Modern advances in DBS technology are now allowing us to personalize therapy according to the needs of our patients, having a positive impact on their quality of life.”