First-of-Its-Kind Parkinson’s Brain Treatment Sparks Hope | Image Source: www.mercurynews.com
AURORA, Colorado, March 21, 2025 – A quiet but historic medical advance took place on the medical campus of CU Anschutz last Friday. In a room full of anxious and hopeful family journalists, 75-year-old Kate, a Parkinson patient since 2019, has become the first person in the United States to receive advanced real-time brain stimulation treatment designed to fit the specific needs of her brain. Target? For me, the tremors and mobility problems that slowed his life – and the lives of nearly 10 million others around the world who live with Parkinson’s disease.
“It gives me hope,” said Kate, “the emotion clings to every word. I have grandchildren. I want to see them grow up. And this… it helps. “According to CPR News, your treatment – known as Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation (ADBS) – may signal a new era for Parkinson’s management. Unlike traditional deep brain stimulation, which has existed for more than 30 years, aDBS customizes electrical impulses to real-time brain activity, offering a much more reactive approach to symptom relief.
What is Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation?
To understand what makes this treatment innovative, we must first see how the traditional deep brain stimulation works. In standard DBS, neurosurgeons implant electrodes in specific areas of the brain. These electrodes send stable and pre-established electrical impulses to help control engine symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and slow motion. Patients also receive a pulse generator, often placed under the skin near the clavicle, which acts as a pacemaker for the brain.
But here’s the massage: these pulses don’t change, no matter what the patient does. If someone sleeps, walks or takes medication, the stimulation remains fixed. It’s like driving a car that only moves at one speed. It’s not ideal.
Enter DBS adaptive. As Dr. Drew Kern and Dr. John Thompson, neurosurgeons at UC and UCHHealth School of Medicine, this new system uses real-time feedback from the patient’s brain to instantly modify these electrical signals. “Listen to the brain and respond in real time,” Dr. Kern explained in a press demonstration. This system is powered by the technology developed by Medtronic, recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and is already making waves in Europe.
Why is this treatment so important?
For patients like Kate, who experienced a drastic reduction in tremors in minutes, the impact is life change. According to Denver7, Kate’s transformation was not only visible – it was visceral. The tremors that had followed her for years had faded in the eyes of observers. “So Kate can sit like she is right now and take me hours to look like that, which we literally just did in a few minutes,” said Dr. Kern. “It’s really amazing. “
From a medical point of view, this may change Parkinson’s path to care. The disease affects more than a million people in the United States alone and costs billions a year in treatment, lost productivity and care. If this technology reduces the need for medicines – and early signs indicate this - patients can see not only improved quality of life, but also reduced financial burdens.
How does technology work?
The process begins with two operations. The first is to place deep electrodes in the brain, pointing towards the areas responsible for motor control. Second, an implantable pulse generator – the size of a pocket watch – is inserted under the skin. This generator communicates with electrodes, providing accurate electrical impulses.
What is different with aDBS is that the device is matched with a program that can read the biomarker signals of the brain and adjust the stimulation accordingly. Imagine an intelligent thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature according to your habits, only this one balances the electrical activity in your head.
According to the research team CU Anschutz, technology is rooted in years of collaboration between American and international researchers. A key turning point came when scientists identified a unique biomarker in the brain that could be measured in real time, essentially giving the device a “read” to react.
Can you customize this technology more?
Sure. That’s the problem. As Dr. Kern explained, one of the most interesting possibilities is to refine the system even more to match patient activity, drug cycles and sleep habits. “Is it more useful when the person sleeps? When are they active? When did they take medication? We want to adapt it even more,” he said.
In addition, patients who already have older DBS systems in place cannot be left behind. According to UCHealth’s statements, existing systems can be updated with new programming in less than an hour, which could allow thousands of patients to access the new treatment without needing another operation.
To what extent is this treatment now available?
The aDBS system will be available in some American centers from this week, including UCHealth. Doctors already have four procedures scheduled for Monday and ten more in the following weeks. The emotion between clinicians is palpable and justified. “We hope this will reduce the number of fluctuations and provide a constant level of function,” said Dr. Kern.
According to The Mercury News, US approval of the adaptation system marks a new chapter after years of successful trials in Europe. With federal funding from the National Institutes of Health that help support research, it is hoped that continued investments will help to achieve broader implementation across the country, although the budget cuts proposed by federal leaders may slow this progress.
How’s the future of Parkinson’s patients?
Although the disease remains incurable, the real-time response capacity of adaptive stimulation could redefine what it means to live with Parkinson. Patients can spend more of their day in “time” – periods when symptoms are under control – with fewer adverse drug reactions. “We know that it improves the amount of time, that is, the person feels good all day,” said Dr. Kern.
Kate’s experience offers a look at this future. For years, he fought not only with symptoms but also with doubt. “They said, “Oh, you don’t have Parkinson’s, ”he remembers. It was only in Anschutz that he finally obtained a clear diagnosis. Since then, she clings to hope, and now, for the first time in years, she seems justified.
How do families respond to treatment?
Kate’s partner, David Julie, just summed it up: “For us, it seems very promising. As so many caregivers, Julie saw Parkinson’s toll take someone she loves. Now, with this new technology, you see a way forward. “Today’s results, and last week’s trial, were really positive.”
These are not just motor skills or drug levels, but moments. So you can have coffee. Shoes. Kiss your grandson without shaking. Victories matter. And now, with adaptive DBS, these moments may not feel so far for the millions that navigate through Parkinson.
As the doctor said. Thompson, who reflects on his role in technological development:
“It’s an honor to be part of it. Even playing a small role in improving life - it was amazing. »
And for Kate, the difference is clear. While sitting quietly, smiling and stable, he whispered the words that all participants hoped to hear:
“Help. It really helps.”
