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 Scientists from the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy
have developed a portable pocket-sized vestibular, or balance,
stimulation device in a bid to improve the lives of Parkinson's
sufferers.
The research was led by Associate Professor Filip Bergquist, who
said the simple device was similar to the TENS (Transcutaneous
Electrical Nerve Stimulation) therapy which is used for pain relief,
for example in child birth.
"So this is really not a very complicated device. It is a current
device which is very similar to the ones that people use for pain
relief with electrical stimulation of muscles and nerves, what's
called TENS. The difference is that we use a particular current
profile which you can stimulate the balance organs with without
creating a balance disturbance. So you do not get the impression
that the world is moving or that you are moving, you actually do not
feel anything," Bergquist explained.
The device operates by providing stimulation via patches attached to
the patient's head behind the ears, where the vestibular system is
located.
Parkinson's disease is characterized by reduced levels in the brain
of the hormone dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows different
regions of the brain to communicate with one another. Symptoms of
advanced Parkinson's disease include an impaired sense of balance,
as well as tremors, poor mobility, slowness and stiffness.
Nearly all patients diagnosed with the disease are treated with
levodopa, a drug that stimulates the production of dopamine in the
brain. The effectiveness of oral levodopa reduces as Parkinson's
disease progresses in the patient and can lead to involuntary
movements, or dyskinesia.
In earlier experiments on rats, researchers at Sahlgrenska showed
that noisy electric stimulation of the balance organs could be used
to change the activity of the brain, thereby balancing the effects
of dopamine shortage and improving the animals' motor skills and
balance.
The researchers have also tested the method on ten Swedish
Parkinson's patients, in both medicated and unmedicated states.
According to Sahlgrenska, on one day the patients received an active
noise stimulation and on another day inactive treatment, not knowing
which day the current was active. According to the research
institute, the experiments showed that the active noise stimulation
improved both the patients' balance and the combined symptoms.
Parkinson's sufferer Staffan Lindblom said he did not expect any
great advances, but would be thankful for anything that would make
living with the disease easier.
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"I have become hardened in the sense that I do not have too great
expectations. But I still believe that something will be found at
some point which could be useful. There is extensive research in
this field and I hope that it eventually will come up with a result.
Not a significant result but a few steps forward would really be
appreciated," he said.
Unfortunately this particular treatment did not work on Lindblom,
with Bergquist suspecting there could also be other causes to
Lindblom's balance problems.
Bergquist said he hoped the device could treat patients for whom the
Levodopa drug, which turns into dopamine in the body and increases
levels of the chemical, was not enough.
He also said they were working on the hypothesis that other diseases
which affect the dopamine system, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder), could also benefit from this kind of
treatment.
"What we are hoping for with this device is to find a treatment for
movement disorders where Levodopa, Parkinson's disease where
Levodopa is not enough. And in particular in patients with
Parkinson's disease where there is problem with gait and balance.
But this may not be restricted to Parkinson's disease, so there may
be other conditions with poor balance where you could use electrical
stimulation of the vestibular organs, the balance organs to improve
balance and gait," he said.
The plan is now for the device to be tested in a longer-term study,
where patients will be using it at home. If those trials prove
successful, the developers hope the device could be available to the
public within five years.
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