Scientists have said that current treatment for Parkinson’s disease, which involves dopamine, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies; harm patients’ overall health. A study has revealed that both the approaches, which are being used to treat the disease, have some limitation, and becomes less effective with time. In a new study, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) along with dopamine and DBS has surfaced as an effective therapy to reduce the motor and non-motor symptoms such as pain in Parkinson’s disease. Experts have said that it is still uncertain whether SCS can be used as a single bioelectric therapy or salvage therapy after dopamine and DBS treatment. This new study has been published in Bioelectric Medicine.
Scientists have observed the effect of SCS as both singular bioelectric therapy and salvage treatment after DBS, on 15 patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In the study, scientists have fixed percutaneous electrodes through the skin of the participants at the levels of the cervical spine. Experts have set each participant into one of three stimulation modes. These stimulation modes are continuous tonic stimulation, continuous burst stimulation, and on and off mode bursts. The average age of the participants has been 74 years. All the participants have gone through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, Self Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Profile of Mood State, 10-Meter Walking Test, along with the Timed Up and Go (TUG).
After a rigorous treatment, experts have found that all the participants have shown significant improvement based on VAS and the pain intensity among all stimulations. There has been a 69 percent of the mean reduction. Participants who have chosen the cycling burst stimulation parameter have seen a 67 percent reduction in VAS scores as compared to the continuous burst parameter group who has seen only a 48 percent reduction in VAS scores. Around 73 percent of participants who have chosen 10-meter walk have as well shown a 12 percent progress. Nearly 64 percent of patients who have taken the TUG test have shown 21 percent of progress. Along with promising results, SCS has some risks as well. Patients might feel jolt or shock, hematoma, infection, and seroma. People can go through epidural hemorrhage as well due to this treatment.