Hi All, Following the program on Pallidotomy on BBC1 (in the UK), here are two items provided by the Parkinson's Disease Society of the UK. Copies of these were sent to local branches and press contacts last week. These were provided by Simon Hope, their PR person (thanks for the disk, Simon!). - Pallidotomy for Parkinson's Disease - an update - Pallidotomy - a need for more research As well as being of direct relevance to those of us in the UK, I thought the rest of you might be interested in how pallidotomy is viewed on this side of the Atlantic. I certainly find your perspective very interesting. You can contact the PDS in the UK at: The Parkinson's Disease Society 22 Upper Woburn Place London WC1H 0RA UK The two articles follow. Simon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PALLIDOTOMY FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE AN UPDATE There are three main symptoms of Parkinson's Disease (PD), tremor, muscle rigidity, and slowness of movement (akinesia). In the 1960s a new drug therapy, levodopa, was introduced, which helped to alleviate all three of the main symptoms of PD. Prior to the introduction of levodopa surgical operations, including pallidotomy, had been performed. These operations were abandoned as it was thought that drug treatment with levodopa would be more effective. However, it soon became evident that levodopa, though a dramatically effective treatment, was not a perfect one. After several years of treatment many people with PD develop hour-to-hour, and sometimes minute-to-minute, fluctuations in their physical state. This ranges between on the one hand a return to the symptoms of Parkinson's and on the other sudden, involuntary movements of the body and limbs (dyskinesia). In an attempt to combat this a Swedish surgeon, Lauri Laitinen, has revived an operation pioneered in Sweden in the 1950s. This operation, pallidotomy, involves making small discrete lesions in the area of the brain concerned with movement, destroying a part of the brain structure called the globus pallidus (pallidum, for short). If the lesion was placed in the appropriate part of the pallidum (internal pallidum) it was found that pallidotomy could not only relieve the three main symptoms of Parkinson's, but it could also reduce the sudden, involuntary movements that result from drug therapy. Over the last couple of years a number of other centres, particularly in North America, have also been doing pallidotomy operations, and reporting favourable results at scientific meetings. A number of centres in the UK have also been preparing to carefully study the effects of pallidotomy in the context of a clinical trial. During the course of 1994 a dozen carefully selected people with PD went through complex pre-operative assessments at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. So far, nine of them have had a pallidotomy. Although immediate benefits have been seen in most people, it is important to assess whether improvement is maintained in the long term. Initial results of these studies will not emerge until early 1996, and follow-up data will continue to be gathered for several years. Other UK centres known to be doing, or planning, pallidotomy operations are Bristol, Liverpool, Oxford, West Midlands, and the Maudesley/King's College Hospital in London. If the results of these experimental surgical programmes are good the procedure can then be offered more widely as a treatment for people with PD. Potential subjects are currently being seen to assess their suitability for surgery in 1996. At present, the operation is only being offered to people with Parkinson's who are severely disabled, have uncontrollable, involuntary movements, and if they can no longer be managed on conventional drug treatment. Details of the operation ------------------------ The operation is performed under local anaesthetic, in the 'off' state, after overnight withdrawal of medication. The 'off' state is part of the on/off phenomenon, which affects people who have had Parkinson's for a long time. It causes them to change from being 'on', where they are able to move, to being 'off', where they can hardly move, within a very short period of time. A stereotactic frame is fixed to the head in the operating theatre. The person with PD then has a brain scan. Once back in theatre, a small hole is made in the skull. Electrode wires are then inserted and electrical recordings made to identify the appropriate target site. This electrode is then removed, and a second, lesioning electrode is inserted with its tip at the optimum point indicated by the recordings. A small, destructive lesion is then made by passing a higher electric current through the tip of this second electrode. The whole procedure can take up to eight hours, during part of which sedation with a short-acting anaesthetic drug may be necessary. Risks ----- There are some risks involved with a pallidotomy operation. These include: - the risk of a short anaesthetic; - a low (about 2-3%) risk of the needles or electrodes accidentally causing unwanted damage or bleeding, which could result in a stroke; - as the area to be lesioned is next to part of the visual pathway, there is an estimated 5-10% risk of causing an additional 'blind spot' in a small part of the visual field on the side opposite the lesion; - a low (2-5%) risk of developing fits (which can only be controlled by medication); - a 10% risk of confusion of sleepiness for several days after the operation; - a 15% risk of an increase in speech or swallowing abnormality. The Parkinson's Disease Society welcomes any developments which improve the quality of life of people with PD, and looks forward to the publication of clinical data on pallidotomy and its possible role in the future treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Disease Society August 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS STATEMENT PALLIDOTOMY - A NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH The Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) welcomes the broadcasting of last night's QED programme 'A Hole in Fred's Head' (BBC1 10.00pm), on pallidotomy, an experimental operation that can ease the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and some of the side effects of administered drug therapy. The symptoms of PD, a progressive, degenerative, neurological condition, include stiffness, slowness, and tremor. Side effects of drug therapy include sudden, involuntary movements. The pallidotomy operation involves making small, discrete lesions in the area of the brain concerned with movement. The PDS welcomes any developments in treatment that can improve the quality of life of people with PD, including the benefits of pallidotomy, but stresses that more research is needed into its immediate and long term effects and any disadvantages associated with the treatment. There is a lack of published clinical data on the results of the operation, and the Society looks forward to the findings of clinical trials currently taking place. Once these trials have been completed a judgement can then be made on the suitability of this operation as a treatment for some people with PD. Pallidotomy is not a widely available form of treatment. Of the few centres who are carrying out the operation, most are doing so in the form of an experimental project. At present, owing to its experimental nature people with Parkinson's are only considered for this treatment if they are severely disabled, have uncontrollable, involuntary movements, and if they can no longer be managed on conventional drug treatment. It is vital that research into the treatments for Parkinson's continues. There are 120,000 people in the UK who live with this currently incurable condition, and more than 10,000 people are diagnosed each year. The PDS helps to fund research, and provide support for people with Parkinson's and their carers, but much more work is needed. Parkinson's Disease Society 22 August 1995 -ends- For further information contact Simon Hope PDS Press Office Tel: 0171-383 3513 Fax: 0171-383 5754 Simon J. 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