6/8/97
Study: Electrodes Ease Parkinson's
NEW YORK (AP) Electrodes that stimulate a grape-sized structure
in the brain can relieve some symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A
new study suggests it works by easing a brake on movement.
The structure is called the globus pallidus. Surgery that damages it
can ease stiffness and slowness in Parkinson's. Recent studies show
electrical stimulation can do the same thing.
To find out why, scientists scanned the brains of Parkinson
patients as the stimulation was applied. Results suggest that the
globus
pallidus acts as a brake on the brain's system regulating movement,
and that the stimulation, oddly enough, makes this brake ease up.
The study included nine patients, eight of whom had marked easing of
rigidity and slow movement during the stimulation.
Canadian researchers report the results in the June issue of the
journal Nature Medicine.
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