Treatment of Movement Disorders and Brain Battery

Movement disorders: Parkinson’s, essential tremor, dystonia

These diseases arise as a result of a deterioration of the centers that regulate movement. Involuntary movements and stiffness can be observed in the arms and legs of patients. Patients who do not respond to drug treatment can be placed with a brain battery.It aims to reduce patient complaints and stop the drugs they are using by placing a battery in places where there are troubles with surgery.

Symptoms

These patients are usually those who are being treated with drugs by a neurologist and are unresponsive to drug treatment. The first symptoms of the diseases can be movement difficulties or involuntary movements in different parts of the body, difficulty walking, speech disorders, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations.

Diagnostic

Although the diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs, MRI is essential.

Treatment

Medications: Medications are started for these patients at the time of initial diagnosis. Patients who do not respond to drug treatment or who do not want drug treatment (for example, in case of tremor) can be operated on their own.

Surgical treatment: Electrodes can be attached to certain centers with brain disorders, and surgery can be performed to stimulate the centers. Before the start of the operation, the MRI is taken by attaching a frame to the patients head and the points where the battery will be inserted are planned. Subsequently, a small hole is made in the skull bone with two small incisions in the patients head. The electrodes are placed at the points provided through these small holes. Then these electrodes are connected to the battery and the battery is placed under the skin in the chest.

The brain battery is used to minimize the symptoms of certain illnesses.

Parkinson’s disease,

Epilepsy,

Disorders of tremor in certain parts of the body (essential tremor),

Diseases of involuntary contraction observed in certain parts of the body (dystonia),

Tic (Tic Tourette),

obsessive compulsive disorders,

Major depression.

In addition to these diseases, studies are being conducted for the use of brain batteries in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease and obesity.

How is brain battery surgery performed?

The purpose of brain battery applications is to give electrical stimulation to damaged and altered electrical activity in the brain at regular intervals. For this, it is first necessary to make a brain map of the patients. MRI and other imaging methods are used for the map. Then, by considering this map, the regions where the electrodes should be placed are determined and thin wires are placed in these areas to provide electrical activity. The battery that will give the electrical stimulus is placed under the collarbone or in the rib cage. Although the general lines of brain battery surgery are like this, a series of procedures are performed before, during and after the surgery.