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Electrical device could alleviate Parkinson's disease by stimulating spinal cord Published: 20 March 2009 10:13 Last Updated: 20 March 2009 10:13 Electrical device could alleviate Parkinson's disease by stimulating spinal cord A simple and cheap device that stimulates the spinal cord with electricity could bring fresh hope to sufferers of Parkinson's disease. Early research in mice and rats using the approach proved to be dramatically effective and experts believe if the technique works in humans it could provide a passport to normal living for thousands of Parkinson's patients. The progressive disease affects motor nerves in the brain, causing tremors, loss of balance and muscle stiffness. Drugs can reduce symptoms in the early stages but then often cease to be effective. Around 120,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson's, with 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year. One radical remedy for the condition is deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves inserting carefully placed electrodes deep into the brain. But the treatment is costly, invasive and not suitable for everyone. The new stimulation therapy, targeting the spinal cord instead of the brain, would be much easier and cheaper to administer. Researchers in the US tested a spinal stimulation device on rats and mice with depleted levels of the brain chemical dopamine, whose symptoms mimic those of Parkinson's. When the device was turned on, their slow, stiff movements disappeared. Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn