Man Fitted with Pioneering Brain Implant Says Parkinson’s Symptoms Nearly Vanished
A 65-year-old man from Sunderland has experienced a remarkable turnaround in his life after being fitted with a pioneering, computer-controlled brain implant to tackle his Parkinson’s disease. Kevin Hill said he has been able to go for days without thinking about his condition and has even been able to forget he has Parkinson’s.
Hill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 and had to deal with symptoms such as trembling in his thumb, insomnia, and nightmares. He was banned from entering the kitchen because of his hand shaking, causing him to spill or drop hot drinks and even cutting the end of his finger off.
He underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, which involved an implant that runs deep into the brain to an area the size of a grain of rice. The implant is connected to a computer in Hill’s chest, which sends electrical signals to the brain to manage his Parkinson’s symptoms.
Since the surgery, Hill’s symptoms have virtually disappeared. He has been able to return to his normal routine, including visiting the pub, riding a bike, and cooking in the kitchen. He no longer experiences the uncontrollable shaking of his arm and leg and has been able to get a full night’s sleep.
Hill’s wife has also seen a significant change in her husband since the surgery. She burst into tears when Hill’s tremors stopped instantly after the procedure, and Hill himself said that his life came back to normal.
The pioneering implant has now been updated with “adaptive deep brain stimulation,” which can read a patient’s brain signals in real-time to better control symptoms. Neurosurgeon Akbar Hussain at Newcastle Hospitals hopes the new treatment will have a “huge impact” on the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Becky Jones from Parkinson’s UK praised the development, saying it represents a major step towards making a more effective treatment for people with Parkinson’s. The condition affects around 153,000 people in the UK, a number expected to increase due to population growth and aging.
