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The following "announcement" from Johns Hopkins is not news to us List members but nonetheless warrants notice. Good morning from InteliHealth / Home to Johns Hopkins Health Information Hopkins: Tremor Control Technique For people afflicted with tremors, the involuntary shaking of hands or limbs can make even the simplest movements an agonizing chore. But the first new technique in 30 years for controlling tremors has been cleared by the FDA, and now offers hope to as many as a million Americans. The Activa Tremor Control Therapy works something like a cardiac pacemaker. A wire is implanted deep within the brain. It passes down the body under the skin and is connected to a pulse generator near the collarbone. By passing a hand-held magnet over the generator, patients can deliver mild electrical stimulations to their brains that help block the signals that cause tremors. Johns Hopkins neurosurgery professor Dr. Fred Lenz, M.D., Ph.D.: "Activities like eating, drinking, hygiene, dressing very basic things that may be a problem for such patients; they should expect significant improvement in their ability to carry out these kinds of tasks." The system can help people for whom drugs don't work. It treats a common neurological disorder called essential tremor, and tremor associated with Parkinson's disease. Copyright 1997 The Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.