Deep Brain Stimulation News and Research

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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure used to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms—most commonly the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems. The procedure is also used to treat essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder. At present, the procedure is used only for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications.

Patients with tinnitus may soon have a definitive therapy

Clinical trials of the new therapy, called Acoustic Coordinated Reset (ACR), have shown that it reduces the loudness and annoyance caused by tinnitus in seven out of 10 patients.

21 Mar 2012

SBMT announces 2012 recipients of Pioneers in Medicine, Technology and Healthcare Policy Awards

Today, the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics announced the 2012 recipients of the organization's prestigious Pioneers in Medicine, Technology, and Healthcare Policy Awards.

17 Mar 2012

$Enrollment commences in MORE Registry for DBS in patients with refractory epilepsy$

Enrollment commences in MORE Registry for DBS in patients with refractory epilepsy

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that a patient from Kempenhaeghe-Heeze (The Netherlands) is the first patient to be enrolled into the MORE (MedtrOnic Registry for Epilepsy) Registry which is designed to look at the long-term efficacy, quality of life impact and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with refractory epilepsy.

From Medtronic 17 Mar 2012

$Health Canada grants license to Medtronic DBS Therapy for refractory epilepsy$

Health Canada grants license to Medtronic DBS Therapy for refractory epilepsy

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has received from Health Canada a license for Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for refractory epilepsy patients.

From Medtronic 16 Mar 2012

Many people do not recognize stroke symptoms

Nationwide ambulance use by patients suffering from a stroke has not changed since the mid-1990s, even though effective stroke treatments are now available.

15 Mar 2012

New national effort to accelerate development of therapies for neurological diseases

The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has selected Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medical College to participate in a new national effort to accelerate the development of therapies for people with neurological diseases.

14 Mar 2012

CME conference on deep brain stimulation for movement disorders

CME Conference for physicians and health care professionals on deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression

14 Mar 2012

Targeting versican protein may help stop breast cancer metastasis

Oncologists have known that in order for cancer cells to spread, they must transform themselves so they can detach from a tumor and spread to a distant organ. Now, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have revealed critical steps in what happens next -- how these cells reverse the process, morphing back into classical cancer that can now grow into a new tumor.

23 Feb 2012

Deep brain stimulation can also affect respiratory function

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a common treatment for patients with chronic pain or movement disorders. Now a unique set of experiments shows that electrical stimulation in some of the same brain areas can also affect respiratory function, according to a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

16 Feb 2012

Machine-learning methods show that patients with severe brain injury could communicate accurately

Only by employing complex machine-learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans were researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell able to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in her way, communicate accurately.

14 Feb 2012

Deep brain stimulation helps improve memory and cognitive skills in epilepsy patients

Researchers have found that deep brain stimulation by sending in electric shocks to a part of the brain that plays a key role in memory improved people's ability to learn. This could raise hope for patients of Alzheimer’s.

12 Feb 2012

Deep-brain stimulation of entorhinal cortex can strengthen memory

Ever gone to the movies and forgotten where you parked the car? New UCLA research may one day help you improve your memory.

9 Feb 2012

Weill Cornell establishes Office of Faculty Development

Weill Cornell Medical College has announced the establishment of the Office of Faculty Development dedicated to assisting its physicians, researchers and educators in achieving academic success at each stage of their careers, with targeted activities that focus on the needs of junior, mid-career and senior faculty.

27 Jan 2012

Magic Mushroom’s compound may help in some mental disorders: Study

There has been little research on the mechanism of action of “magic mushrooms” on the brain. A growing number of studies suggested that perhaps the mushrooms' key ingredient could work magic for certain mental disorders. New research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on why one of the mushrooms' hallucinogenic chemical compounds, psilocybin, may hold promise for the treatment of depression.

24 Jan 2012

Positive affect, self-affirmation help patients with chronic diseases to overcome obstacles

The experience of daily positive affect -- a mild, happy feeling -- and self-affirmation helps some patients with chronic diseases, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and asthma, make better decisions about their health.

24 Jan 2012

Aspirin may benefit HIV-infected women at risk of cervical cancer

Research conducted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center global health investigators and cancer specialists in New York, Qatar and Haiti suggests that aspirin should be evaluated for its ability to prevent development of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women.

19 Jan 2012

DBS safe and effective for patients with advanced Parkinson's

Researchers from the University of Florida and 14 additional medical centers reported results today in the online version of The Lancet Neurology journal indicating that deep brain stimulation - also known as DBS - is effective at improving motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

12 Jan 2012

DBS safe and effective for treatment-resistant depression in patients with unipolar MDD or BP

A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder.

3 Jan 2012

Advice for newly-diagnosed Parkinson's patients

After 12 years with Parkinson's disease (PD), 57-year old Bill Schmalfeldt has this advice for newly-diagnosed Parkinson's patients.

17 Dec 2011

U.S. DoD awards $11M to study two different ways to treat PTSD in war veterans

A team of researchers who have pioneered novel treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been awarded an $11 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to investigate the differences between virtual reality and traditional prolonged exposure therapy.

14 Dec 2011