American Medicine Today visits with the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
Deep Brain Stimulation (or DBS) is a type of advanced therapy for treating Parkinson’s Disease that takes advantage of the circuits of the brain. While not a cure for the illness, it can lessen some of the symptoms dramatically. By surgically placing a small probe inside the brain, doctors can monitor and manipulate the electrical signals transmitted throughout the body and alleviate tremors. We talk to Dr. Michael Okun, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at University of Florida and Dr. Kelly Foote, Co-Director of the University of Florida’s Movement Disorders Center about this amazing new therapy. We also visit with John Alexander, a tremor-dominant Parkinson’s Disease patient who was the first to receive this DBS system.
Learn more about UF Health’s deep brain stimulation system here: http://movementdisorders.ufhealth.org/surgery/deep-brain-stimulation-surgery/
