In this episode of the Truth, Lies Alzheimer's show, host Lisa Skinner introduces a newly FDA‑approved adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) device from Medtronic that promises to transform Parkinson’s disease treatment. She reads a recent San Francisco Chronicle article by Jack Lee, detailing the device’s design—a flat, implantable pulse generator near the collarbone that both records brain signals and delivers tailored electrical impulses. The episode shares patient narratives, including 77‑year‑old Deb Zehan, who regained hand function and voice; Keith, who halved his medication dosage twice; and marathon‑running John, whose muscle cramping vanished. Expert commentary from neurologists and researchers at Stanford, UCSF, UC Davis, and the University of Minnesota explains how aDBS differs from continuous stimulation, acting like a brain pacemaker that adjusts in real time, and discusses the balance needed to avoid over‑ or under‑stimulation. Risks such as surgical bleeding, tingling sensations, and the need for specialized staff are outlined. The discussion also covers ongoing work using AI to speed parameter tuning, potential applications beyond movement symptoms (sleep, mood), and future trials for epilepsy. Lisa urges listeners to consult their doctors about candidacy, consider the risks, and join her Minding Dementia support group for caregiver resources.
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Are you caring for a loved one with dementia? You don't have to figure this out all on your own. Welcome to Truth, Lies Alzheimer's, the show that helps you reimagine a new relationship with your loved one, a relationship a little more free of stress and anxiety. Join host Lisa Skinner and her 30+ years of experience as she guides you on a new path to a better relationship with those you care for. Here's Lisa.
Hello everybody. Welcome to another brand new episode of the Truth, Lies Alzheimer's Show. I'm your host, Lisa Skinner, and I am so excited to be doing this episode today because I have I have some game-changing, life-changing information to share with everybody today. This article just came out recently, like in the last week, in the San Francisco Chronicle. And this has to do with a device that the FDA just approved in February that's going to literally change the lives of people who live with Parkinson's disease. So, I think the easiest way to present the information is just to go ahead and read the article. Again, it was published in the San Francisco Chronicle very recently. The story is by a gentleman by the name of Jack Lee. And the headline says, Bay Area patients among first in US to receive life-changing Parkinson's treatment. And it starts off saying, at first, Deb Zehan, age 77, had trouble opening and closing her left hand as she spoke with UCSF neurologist Simon Little on March 24th. But as a nurse practitioner tapped on a tablet atop a nearby table, Zenyan's movements sharpened and sped up. Her voice also grew louder. The tablet was wirelessly connected to a medical device implanted near her collarbone. Wires from the device, a flat oval that fits in the palm of a hand, extended to her brain both for monitoring signals and sending electrical impulses. This was a brain stimulation device. And it was approved for treating Parkinson's disease just this past February by the US Food and Drug Administration, or also known as the FDA. Now, this woman and two others were treated at Stanford Medical Center in late March, and they were among the first in the US to begin adaptive deep brain stimulation as part of their regular care for Parkinson's disease. And until now, this treatment has only been used in clinical trials. Scientists are continuing to improve the technology, which, while not a cure for the disease, does and can provide dramatic improvements. Mrs. Zayin says, "It literally gave me my life back." Experts estimate that about 1 million Americans live with Parkinson's disease, which is, as we know, a disorder characterized by uncontrollable movements as a result of ab— normal brain activity. Those with Parkinson's experience the loss of certain neurons, which result in irregular electrical signals in the brain. Helen Bronte-Stewart, who is a Stanford neurologist, she headed the Global Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation clinical trial that led to the FDA approval. So, what it does, and this is the explanation, deep brain stimulation disrupts the jamming pattern that happens with Parkinson's disease in the brain. Earlier versions of treatment provided a continuous signal to the brain, but the newer adaptive method is personalized to each patient's needs. The end of the wires implanted in the brain serve two roles, both delivering electrical impulses into brain tissue and also reading in brain activity so stimulation can be modulated as needed. So what they found was that providing too much stimulation can cause fidgeting and involuntary movements. This is what neurologist at the University of Minnesota by the name of Leo Almeida— he's also the division chief of the movement disorders group— but he also says that not providing enough stimulation can cause symptoms of Parkinson's disease to reappear. So, What they discovered was that they're just getting to the point where deep brain stimulation acts like a brain pacemaker, referring to the medical device used to regulate irregular heartbeats. While the adaptive treatment is promising, it does, however, carry some risks. The surgery required for deep brain stimulation therapy can cause some bleeding within the brain, for example. And there can be side effects before experts make the adjustments for the individual person, such as tingling sensations. Adaptive deep brain stimulation currently requires specialized staff to set it up and fine-tune it. According to Karina Orne, a UC Davis assistant professor of neurology, surgical, neurological surgery, who was previously at UCSF. Now, this adaptive treatment may not be more effective for all people with Parkinson's disease, but it could optimize symptom management for some. And deep brain stimulation trial is touted to be always a good thing to have a new tool to offer to patients. Now, this particular stimulation device was produced by Medtronic, who's a global medical device company. The system marks the company's first foray into brain-computer interfaces. The approach of reading signals and adapting therapy could have broader uses. Like pain management. And just to add to that, after I came across this article, I actually saw a story that was featured on my local news channel just a couple nights ago talking about this new procedure, this new device, and the miracles that it is providing for people living with Parkinson's disease. And then at the end of the feature about it being a life-changing discovery for people living with Parkinson's disease, they actually said the next clinical trial that they're going to test this on is going to involve people living with epilepsy. That is so exciting. But it, again, It has recently, just since this past February, 2 months ago, been approved by the FDA for people living with Parkinson's disease. Now, this gentleman by the name of Ken Washington, who is a Medtronic chief technician and innovation officer for the company that created this device says, we are just getting started. Adaptive deep brain stimulation has meant that people have been able to take less medication. He cited a man by the name of Keith, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1997 when he was only 42 years old. What started as pain in his hand ultimately progressed to his entire arm shaking. The medicines for managing these symptoms have nasty side effects for him, especially like mental fog and extreme nausea. And this gentleman had to take even more medications to deal with the side effects and complications from the medications. So, after starting treatment with deep brain stimulation, he was able to halve his daily dosage of these medications and switch to the adaptive version of the treatment, allowing him to halve that dosage again. And he says, as part of his interview, I just wake up every morning feeling so much better. The deep brain stimulation also greatly improved the symptoms that another gentleman by the name of John, age 59, faced due to his Parkinson's disease. His most pronounced symptom was painful muscle cramping. But he says, with this new deep brain stimulation device, that discomfort disappeared almost instantaneously. He says the stiffness just kind of melted away. He has been able to resume running and even completed the New York City Marathon last year. Now, don't forget, he was part of the clinical trials, something he never would have thought possible before this treatment. Now he's training for the race this year as well. On March 27th, John alternated between sitting patiently and taking laps around a small room as Stanford neurologist Gaurav Chaudhary tweaked settings on his touchscreen. He was getting some involuntary movements since the last time I saw him. And that's a sign of disease progression, Dr. Chatterjee explained. So what he was trying to do was adjust the adaptive settings so that John's getting enough stimulation. He had to find the right balance. It's similar to what Little of UCSF was doing with Mrs. Zehan, altering thresholds and inputs to find the right combination to manage her symptoms. Researchers are working to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to find the best settings more quickly for each individual patient, Dr. Little said. Scientists are exploring if adaptive brain stimulation could treat other symptoms of Parkinson's beyond those related to movement. Individuals with disease often experience problems with sleep and mood. Parkinson's disease is complicated, said UCSF neurologist Jill Ostrom, who is also a medical director at the UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center. It's not just one symptom, she says. It's a combination of many symptoms. As any of us who have had any relationship with anybody living with Parkinson's disease well knows. Researchers are also working to address a technical challenge of the treatment. While the device both delivers electrical impulses and reads brain activity, trying to accomplish both tasks in the same brain region can create issues. The signals that you're recording are about a million times smaller than the brain stimulation that you're giving, just next door, little explain. You're trying to listen to what would be considered a whisper. At the same time, it's like a cannon is going off. But for now, the Medtronic device monitors just one brain region that's known to be connected to Parkinson's Symptoms. Scientists are exploring if the other parts of the brain could also play a role in Parkinson's. Considering additional signals from different areas could make adaptive deep brain stimulation an even more promising treatment for patients. And they conclude this article with, I think it's the future. Says Dr. Orn of UC Davis. So, that's really revolutionary information. It's going to change the landscape for most people living with Parkinson's disease. So, I would say, with this information now being publicized, go talk to your doctors and see if you are a candidate for this new treatment. And don't forget to ask about the risks that are stated in this article. So I'm so excited to have been able to share this brand new breakthrough treatment that was just announced in the last couple weeks for you to be aware of. So thanks again for spending part of your day with us here at the Truth, Lies Alzheimer's Show. I'm Lisa Skinner, your host, and as always, I will be bringing you updates and new content information every week with every new episode that we produce for you to keep informed about any and all of these neurodegenerative diseases that we are living with today. Thanks again for being here, and we'll be back next week with another new episode. Have a great week. Bye-bye.
Thank you for listening to Truth, Lies Alzheimer's. We hope you found something in today's episode that helps. We understand that caring for a loved one with dementia can be the challenge of a a lifetime, but you don't have to do it alone. If you're ready for exclusive access to even more great content and resources, head on over to Facebook and join Lisa Skinner's Minding Dementia support group. We're a community of like-minded caregivers, and we're here to help.
