thanks for the video, John.  I posted this news about a month ago.
Ray

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
[log in to unmask]

--------------------------------------------------
From: "John Cottingham" 
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 12:07 AM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Spinal Cord Stimulator Sparks Hope For Parkinson's Disease 
Treatment

> New research of stimulation of the spinal cord instead of the brain shows 
> promise of countering movement disorders associated with Parkinson's 
> disease.
>
> Video from Duke University shows what has been accomplished. That video is 
> on the PIENO maillist page at:
>
> http://parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com/maillist.html
>
> Perhaps annual additions to the "Hole in the Head Gang" won't be necessary 
> if this proves to be a viable non-invasive treatment.
>
> John Cottingham
>
>
>
>>Novel Spinal Cord Stimulator Sparks Hope For Parkinson's Disease Treatment
>>
>>ScienceDaily (Mar. 21, 2009) ­ A novel stimulation method, the first 
>>potential therapy to target the spinal cord instead of the brain, may 
>>offer an effective and less invasive approach for Parkinson's disease 
>>treatment, according to pre-clinical data published in the journal Science 
>>by researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
>>
>>Researchers developed a prosthetic device that applies electrical 
>>stimulation to the dorsal column in the spinal cord, which is a main 
>>sensory pathway carrying tactile information from the body to the brain. 
>>The device was attached to the surface of the spinal cord in mice and rats 
>>with depleted levels of the chemical dopamine - mimicking the biologic 
>>characteristics of someone with Parkinson's disease along with the 
>>impaired motor skills seen in advanced stages of the disease.
>>
>>When the device was turned on, the dopamine-depleted animals' slow, stiff 
>>movements were replaced with the active behaviors of healthy mice and 
>>rats. Improved movement was typically observed within 3.35 seconds after 
>>stimulation.
>>
>>"We see an almost immediate and dramatic change in the animal's ability to 
>>function when the device stimulates the spinal cord," says senior study 
>>investigator Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., the Anne W. Deane Professor of 
>>Neuroscience at Duke. "Moreover, it is easy to use, significantly less 
>>invasive than other alternatives to medication, such as deep brain 
>>stimulation, and has the potential for widespread use in conjunction with 
>>medications typically used to treat Parkinson's disease."
>>
>>Researchers tested mice and rats with acute and chronic dopamine deficit 
>>using varying levels of electrical stimulation and in combination with 
>>different doses of dopamine replacement therapy, also known as 
>>3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine or L-DOPA, to determine the most effective 
>>pairing.
>>
>>When the device was used without additional medication, Parkinsonian 
>>animals were 26 times more active. When stimulation was coupled with 
>>medication, only two L-DOPA doses were needed to produce movement compared 
>>to five doses when the medication was used by itself.
>>
>>"This work addresses an important need because people living with 
>>Parkinson's disease face a difficult reality - L-Dopa will eventually stop 
>>managing the symptoms," explains Romulo Fuentes, a postdoctoral fellow at 
>>Duke University and lead author of the study. "Patients are left with few 
>>options for treatment, including electrical stimulation of the brain, 
>>which is appropriate for only a subset of patients."
>>
>>While deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other experimental treatments 
>>attack the disease at its origin - in the brain - Nicolelis and team took 
>>a different approach. The concept for the device began when researchers 
>>made a surprising connection with another neurological condition.
>>
>>"It was a moment of sudden insight," explains Nicolelis. "We were 
>>analyzing the brain activity of mice with Parkinson's disease and suddenly 
>>it reminded me of some research I'd done in the epilepsy field a decade 
>>earlier. The ideas began to flow from there."
>>
>>The rhythmic brain activity in the animals with Parkinson's disease 
>>resembled the mild, continuous, low-frequency seizures that are seen in 
>>those with epilepsy. One effective therapy for treating epilepsy involves 
>>stimulating the peripheral nerves, which facilitate communication between 
>>the spinal cord and the body. Researchers took that concept and developed 
>>a modified approach for a Parkinson's disease model.
>>
>>Nicolelis says that the low frequency seizures, or oscillations, seen in 
>>the animal model of Parkinson's disease have been observed in humans with 
>>the condition. Stimulating the dorsal column of the spinal cord reduces 
>>these oscillations, which researchers believe creates the ability to 
>>produce motor function.
>>
>>In a healthy body, neurons fire at varying rates as information is 
>>transmitted between the brain and the body to initiate normal movement. 
>>This process breaks down in someone with Parkinson's disease.
>>
>>"Our device works as an interface with the brain to produce a neural state 
>>permissive for locomotion, facilitating immediate and dramatic recovery of 
>>movement," says Per Petersson, co-author of the study. "Following 
>>stimulation, the neurons desynchronize, similar to the firing pattern that 
>>you would see when a healthy mouse is continuously moving."
>>
>>Nicolelis says that if the device is proven safe and effective through 
>>further research, he imagines it mirroring similar spinal cord stimulator 
>>technology currently used to treat chronic pain. Small leads are implanted 
>>over the spinal cord and then connected to a portable generator, a small 
>>device capable of producing mild electrical currents. During the trial 
>>period, the generator is external, while for permanent treatment it would 
>>be implanted below the skin.
>>
>>"If we can demonstrate that the device is safe and effective over the long 
>>term in primates and then humans, virtually every patient could be 
>>eligible for this treatment in the near future," Nicolelis said.
>>
>>The Duke team is collaborating with neuroscientists at the Edmond and Lily 
>>Safra International Institute of Neuroscience in Natal, Brazil, to test 
>>the new procedure in primate models of Parkinson's disease prior to 
>>initiating clinical studies. Neuroscientists from the Brain and Mind 
>>Institute at the Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL), in Lausanne, 
>>Switzerland, will also participate in this international research effort 
>>to translate these new findings into clinical practice.
>>
>>Study co-authors include William Siesser and Marc Caron.
>>
>>Funding for this research was provided by grants from the National 
>>Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), International 
>>Neuroscience Network Foundation (INNF) and the Anne W. Deane Endowed 
>>Chair.
>>
>>----------
>>Adapted from materials provided by Duke University Medical Center.
>>Email or share this story:
>>Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the 
>>following formats:
>>APA
>>
>>MLA
>>Duke University Medical Center (2009, March 21). Novel Spinal Cord 
>>Stimulator Sparks Hope For Parkinson's Disease Treatment
>
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