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Given that this is a VA study, it's safe to assume that the participants were overwhelmingly male. Once again, a study that leaves women out of the picture. Kathleen 2009/1/16 Wilson DeCamp <[log in to unmask]> > > From: VA Media Relations <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:46:30 -0500 > Subject: Release - VA-NIH Study Offers Hope for Parkinson's Patients > > > VA-NIH Study Offers Hope for Parkinson's Patients > > Study Says Deep-Brain Stimulation Has Benefits > > WASHINGTON (January 13, 2009) -- Electrical stimulation of the brain -- a > treatment in which a pacemaker-like device sends pulses to electrodes > implanted > in the brain -- is riskier than drug therapy but may hold significant > benefits for those with Parkinson's disease who no longer respond well to > medication alone. > That is the conclusion of researchers from the Department of Veterans > Affairs (VA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) who conducted a > six-year study > comparing deep-brain stimulation (DBS) to medication, along with speech, > physical or occupational therapy, given as needed. The results of the > trial, > the largest of its kind to date, appear in the January 7 Journal of the > American Medical Association (JAMA). > "Deep-brain stimulation offers hope for a large number of patients with > advanced Parkinson's disease who suffer from complications of long-standing > medication therapy," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. > "This > finding could mean improved quality of life for some of our patients." > The study included 255 Parkinson's patients at seven VA medical centers > and > six university hospitals. The VA sites were Portland, Ore., Seattle, San > Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Richmond, Va., and Philadelphia, all > members of > VA's network of Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical > Centers. > The JAMA article also noted VA's nationwide system of hospitals and > specialized centers of excellence make the Department uniquely capable of > conducting > such large, multi-site trials of new therapies and medical devices. VA's > patient population is especially suited for trials of treatments for > chronic > disease in the elderly. > Patients who took part in the study were on medication but are no longer > seeing improvements in symptoms such as tremors or stiffness. Many were > also > developing side effects from the drugs, such as involuntary face, arm or > leg > movements. > Researchers followed the patients for six months, finding: > * Patients who received DBS gained an average of 4.6 hours per day of good > motor control and few or no involuntary movements, compared with no gain > for > those on medical therapy alone; > * 71 percent of DBS patients showed significant gains in motor > function, compared with only 32 percent of drug therapy patients; and > * Serious adverse side effects were nearly four times more common in the > DBS > group, but almost all of these effects in both groups were resolved during > the six-month study. The most common side effects from DBS were > infections, > falls, depression, gait and balance problems, and pain. > Lead authors and study co-chairs were Frances Weaver, PhD, a researcher > with > the Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care at the Hines VA Hospital > near Chicago, and Dr. Kenneth Follett, a neurosurgeon at the Omaha VA > Medical > Center and University of Nebraska. They emphasize that besides the higher > likelihood of serious side effects with DBS compared with drug therapy, > another > drawback of the procedure is that, although it generally improves > movement, > it does little to help other Parkinson's symptoms such as depression, > decline > in mental ability, gait and balance problems, and trouble with > gastrointestinal, urinary or sexual function. > "The results of the study should not be over- or under-stated," said Dr. > Michael Kussman, VA's Under Secretary for Health. "Still, there are many > good > candidates for DBS among patients with Parkinson's disease whom we treat > in > VA." > The trial was sponsored by VA's Cooperative Studies Program and the > National > Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National > Institutes of Health. Additional support came from Medtronic, which makes > the DBS > system used in the study. > Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder, affects some 1.5 > million Americans, with 50,000 new cases diagnosed annually. VA treats at > least 40,000 veterans with the disorder each year. Most patients are over > age > 50, but some forms of the disease can strike younger adults. > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn