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Check out these statistics! Forty-one consecutive patients with suboptimal results of DBS surgery over a 24-month period were reviewed. Issues related to inadequate pre-operative screening, surgical and device-related complication and programming/medication adjustments were factors in the evaluation. They report that with appropriate specific intervention, 51% of patients who presented complaining of "failed" DBS procedures ultimately had good outcomes. Source: http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/62.8.noc40425v1 While 51% is still "good" results, this is another indication of why patient groups need to be watchdogs for newly-approved surgical procedures and to keep others informed of the latest studies. The Parkinson Pipeline Project is such a group. Composed almost entirely of PD patients, we are doing some exciting and vital work on seeking better treatments and ultimately - a cure. Keeping the PD community informed is one of our goals. (Check out our website at www.pdpipeline.org ). The Reuter's AlertNet news report is given in part below: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13645969.htm Brain stimulation therapy can be ineffective-study 13 Jun 2005 21:59:15 GMT CHICAGO, June 13 (Reuters) - Placing electrodes in the brain to calm tremors failed to help some patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders because they were not good candidates for the treatment or the devices were poorly implanted, a study said on Monday. The treatment, called deep brain stimulation surgery, is approved in the United States for the treatment of Parkinson's, essential tremor and the movement disorder dystonia. * * * Medtronic Inc. <MDT.N> is the only company currently on the U.S. market with the technology, which involves implanting a device that delivers mild electrical stimulation to block the brain signals that cause tremor. However, a number of medical device companies are investing heavily in neurostimulation technology, and the market for all neuromodulation products, which include devices to manage pain, is expected to reach $1.5 billion this year, according to a study by Susquehanna Financial Group. A Medtronic spokeswoman did not have an immediate comment on the study. The devices to date have been implanted in 30,000 patients worldwide, Medtronic said.[/i] Peggy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn