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Implant surgery offers hope in fight against Parkinson's ST. LOUIS (May 5, 1998 00:14 a.m. EDT http://www.nando.net) -- Robert "Joe" Hoover, 78, a retired machinist, is halfway to being able to touch the tip of his nose with either index finger and cleanly turning a screw with a screwdriver. On Monday, Hoover, of Springfield, Ill., demonstrated the results of groundbreaking implant surgery he had in March at Barnes-Jewish Hospital here. First, Hoover, who is left-handed, passed a small magnet over his right upper chest to switch off the pocket-watch-size device implanted there and shook uncontrollably trying to complete such simple tasks as transferring water from one paper cup to another or drawing a circle on a piece of paper. Then he passed the magnet across again to switch on the battery-operated device and moments later repeated the tasks without a hitch. His surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Mink, assistant professor of neurology and neurobiology at the Washington University Medical School, smiled in appreciation. Mink plans to operate again next month to implant another pacemaker-like device on the other side of the chest to restore function to Hoover's right side. The device passes electric charges through a wire connected to an electrode implanted in the brain's thalamus. Several such "bilateral" operations have already been done by St. Louis University doctors on patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and the more common disabling affliction known as essential tremor. The operation costs about $25,000, including the implant device. The operation usually is covered by insurance. Both university medical groups are among the 30 sites in the nation authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to perform clinical trials on the bilateral operation. In August, the FDA approved the unilateral implants of the device. "I'm looking forward to being able to work again with my hands," said Hoover, who began having trouble with essential tremor 40 years ago. He was able to hang on to his job operating a hydraulic-powered chop saw for a wood-cutting firm but later had to settle for a maintenance job as the disease progressed to the point where he needed help in eating and buttoning his clothing. Dr. Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon at St. Louis University Medical Center, recently completed one of the first double-implant operations under the FDA guidelines. The patient, a truck driver, 45, could not fill out his trucking forms because of essential tremor and was starting to have difficulty driving. He is back at work with full faculties. "I can't say enough about the operation," Henderson said. He and his staff have performed a dozen operations on both essential tremor and Parkinson's patients with only temporary side effects. One woman suffering from Parkinson's complained that the implant, while reducing her tremors significantly, seemed to impede her walking and talking. "The wonderful thing about this device is that it is adaptable and reversible," Henderson said. He said the woman simply turned off the stimulator when she was speaking or walking and switched it back on when sipping a cup of coffee. Mink and the Washington University team have performed six operations on essential tremor patients and one on a Parkinson's patient. He said about 5 million Americans suffer from essential tremor, including 5 percent of the population over age 40, as compared with about 1 million who suffer from Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's patients have major problems of balance and body stiffness as well, Mink said. By VICTOR VOLLAND, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service Copyright 1998 Nando.net Copyright 1998 Scripps Howard janet paterson 51/10 - sinemet/selegiline/prozac almonte/ontario/canada - [log in to unmask]