New Cerebral Palsy Study: Deep Brain Stimulation Improves Dystonia in Children
Last week The American Academy of Neurology released the results of study conducted by Warren A. Marks M.D. that concluded that deep brain stimulation improves dystonia in children with cerebral palsy.
Deep brain stimulation or DBS is a treatment involving the surgical implantation of a brain pacemaker. This medical device sends electrical impulses to specified parts of the brain.
Deep brain stimulation is thought to improve dystonia in children more effectively than adults because younger patients demonstrate less fixed orthopedic impairment.
DBS was approved by the FDA for use in treating dystonia in 2003. Since that time DBS has been used to treat primary dystonia and used far less frequently to treat dystonias that are secondary to cerebral palsy.
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