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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a state-of-the-art treatment that can be used to treat movement disorders associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), essential tremor, dystonia and other neurological conditions. In the Hoffman Family Deep Brain Stimulation Program at Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute, we may use DBS for movement disorders when your medications have become less effective or if their side effects interfere with your daily activities.
DBS can offer hope and relieve your symptoms, greatly improving your quality of life. Your Hoffman Family Deep Brain Stimulation Program doctor will discuss the advantages, disadvantages and risks of DBS surgery, and perform testing, to make sure it’s right for you.
Who can benefit from DBS
Parkinson’s disease
If you are a Parkinson’s patient, you may be a candidate for DBS surgery if you have primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that respond to medication, but you:
- have difficulty with the medication wearing off too early, causing motor fluctuations and on-off periods throughout the day
- are limited in the doses you can take due to bothersome side effects
Essential tremor
For essential tremor, you may be a candidate for DBS surgery if the tremor has been resistant to medications and is interfering with your daily activities, such as dressing, eating or drinking, or grooming.
Epilepsy
If you have intractable epilepsy, you may be a candidate for DBS surgery. Please work with your epilepsy care team to see if this is a viable option.
How DBS works
DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called an implantable pulse generator (IPG) – similar to a heart pacemaker and approximately the size of a stopwatch – to control electrical stimulation to specific areas in your brain that control movement to block the abnormal nerve signals causing your symptoms. A wire that travels under your skin connects the IPG to electrodes your surgeon will implant in your brain.
Is DBS right for me?
Request an appointment with one of our Neuroscience Institute specialists in the Hoffman Family Deep Brain Stimulation Program to learn more about DBS and whether it's the right it for you.