Hi John--
I believe I heard you and your razor all the way down I-35 here in Norman.
I like a close shave on a man but that's going too far.  Good luck with
DBS2.

Kathy Kunz
---- Original Message -----
From: "John Cottingham"
<[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 10:36 AM
Subject: DBS Update: Neuropsychological Follow-Up


> I had DBS in January on the right side of the brain to correct a tremor in
> the left hand that I had 35 years. The study I am in measured my memory
> before and 3 months after the procedure. At the follow-up, I was close to
> being 'optimally tuned'.
>
> TESTING
>
> The testing started with time and place questions like who is the governor
> and what county are you in.
>
> The number tests consisted of the tester reading a series of numbers and
> having me repeat the series from memory. The number of digits in the
numbers
> became longer.
>
> Another test consisted of me hearing a list of items and from memory
> repeating the list. After the first list was completed a different set of
> words was introduced and I repeated them from memory. Each one of the
tests
> were repeated several times.
>
> After these word tests, I was asked to recall the list of words from the
> first list.
>
> Then I was asked to indicate with a yes or no whether the word said by the
> tester was in the first list.
>
> The next set of tests involved the tester reading a story and then I
> repeated the story as exactly as I recalled. The story was repeated by the
> tester and I was given the opportunity to retell it as I recalled.
>
> Another story was introduced and I was given the opportunity to retell it
as
> accurately as possible. This was repeated.
>
> The third part of the testing involved the tester asking questions, based
on
> the two stories, with two possible answers..with me giving the correct
> response.
>
> Another test which may be gender biased involved answering a question of
> what could one find in a grocery store and also what could one find in a
> vegetable department. All of these responses were recorded in a specific
> time frame.
>
> A set of flash card exercises was taken. With the flash cards, a picture
> (graphic) was on each one. You had to identify them.
>
> Another set of flash cards had similar symbols and you had to pick the
> different one of the set of three or four symbols.
>
> Another set of flash cards had a puzzle jumbled. You had to tell what the
> object was.
>
> Another set of flash cards contained a part of a picture like the spout of
a
> tea pot and you had to tell what it was.
>
> Pre-DBS I had been unable to write (I write left-handed), let alone draw
so
> the follow-up included drawing complex diagrams, first, open book, and
then
> later from memory.
>
> DISCUSSION:
>
> In the eleven patient study on P-I-E-N-O, elderly men were reported to
have
> done poorly on the fruits part of their follow-up. This probably is more
> gender based bias in this kind of test because elderly men do little of
the
> grocery shopping and have had a more spartan diet over the years so maybe
> they have forgotten the names of fruits and vegetables.
>
> http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com/archive/110.html
>
> I did better not trying to read the tester's lips because there seems to
be
> an interferance in the memory process when one concentrates on visual
fields
> rather than turning aside and using the aureal feedback of the tester's
> voice. I discovered this during the story telling portion of the tests.
>
> My subjective analysis of my follow-up performance was that I did
fantastic
> and much better than before DBS. At follow-up though, you have 'studied'
the
> test before.
>
> Parkinson's and essential tremor outcomes can be entirely different and it
> all involves finding the correct 'optimal' tuning. Some with PD have had
DBS
> and not experienced symptomatic relief because of unrealistic expectations
> and not knowing before hand that you will be living in the programmers
> office until the correct program is found for you. I have some dear
friends
> that have given up and are back to titrating their meds on their own
trying
> to control dyskinesias and or/tremor.
>
> Have DBS done close to your support base and don't have unrealistic
> expections. DBS, under your neurologist's supervision, will result in the
> lowering of PD meds and their resulting side-effects.
>
> Next Wednesday, I am scheduled to have DBS on the left side of my brain.
>
> Since I shave with both hands, I had a funny thing happen yesterday. While
> shaving my chin with my shaky right hand, I got the razor in my mouth
> somehow..:) I won't do that again...at least for long. :)
>
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