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( Murray may have posted this already) National) Feb. 2, 2004 - A steady hand may not seem like much, but for 63-year-old David Donahoe it's a blessing, as well as tribute to high tech medicine. David has Parkinson's Disease. The degenerative nervous system disorder causes debilitating tremors, robbing David of much of his independence, "I had a tremor, and it was worse and worse and worse over time" So, he came to San Francisco's VA Medical Center, where during clinical trials he was one of the first to have a new type of stimulation device implanted in his brain. Dr. William Marks, the director of the Parkinson's Disease Center, says the FDA has just approved the device, "We now have the ability in the US to use a device that uses just one stimulator to stimulate both sides of the brain." It's called the Kinetra Neurostimulator. For patients the new advance by Medtronic means less surgery time and fewer incisions. It works by stimulating the part of the brain that influences motor control. It appears to block brain signals that cause the characteristic stiffness and shaking of Parkinson's. David says the difference was amazing, "I can now drive more effectively and easily. Just overall, life's conditions are a lot more pleasant." The Kinetra Neurostimulator also allows patients to use a remote control to adjust the brain stimulation, so they have more control over their treatment. David still takes medication, but the surgery has enabled him to cut down, and now he can use the computer once again with steady hands, "I'm delighted with the results." The surgery to install the implant is risky, so the Kinetra Neurostimulator is only available to patients who are not responding well to medication and do not suffer from dementia. http://www.medtronic.com/newsroom/news_20040122a.html Jeff www.dialforacure.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn