Brain Pacemakers

Madison MoreauBME 281

September 26, 2012

What Are Brain Pacemakers?

• Small battery powered pacemaker that emits electronic impulses

• Inserted in affected area of brain

• Commonly used in Parkinson’s Disease patients, epileptics, and people who have tremors

• Also known as a method of deep brain stimulation

• Have over 60,000 customizable options

How Are They Inserted?

• Hole is drilled through parietal bone

• Small electrodes are placed in area of brain that needs to be stimulated

• Wires are threaded around affected area, around ears, and down to chest

• Pacemaker device is placed near the center of patients chest

Deep Brain Stimulation

• DBS is a surgical treatment that uses brain pacemakers

• Treats disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, chronic pain, depression, tremor, and dystonia

• Doctor’s are still unsure of how it works exactly

• FDA approved for PD, dystonia and tremor

• Serious side effectsIgnore metal on maxilla and mandible

History• Brain pacemakers were developed first in France in 1987

• Old treatments used to include burning of the affected tissue

• Now small electrodes are placed where the tissue would have been burned away

• Their objective is to re-stimulate the area and try to make it respond to normal brain activity

Benefits• Effective, approved way to treat tremor, PD, and dystonia

• Used to treat major depression and chronic pain in body

• Researched to be used against Alzheimer’s Disease to slow down the progression of the disease

• Can stimulate areas of the brain that could not be done in any other way

• Decrease in medication

Risks• Like most brain surgery, DBS can be very dangerous

• Serious complications include:• Hemorrhage (1-2%)• Infection (3-5%)

• Bad probe/ sensors in brain

• Sensors become dislodged

• Pacemakers need to have their battery replaced

• Pacemakers settings can only be changed by reopening the area where the device was implanted

Application on Parkinson’s Disease

Insertion of DBS probe

• DBS does not cure PD – it only slows it down

• Used for patients that have several side effects to medication or who’s condition is growing worse on the medication

• DBS is programmed to be used only when the brain needs to be stimulated

• Not continuously

• Normally electrodes are placed in one of three regions:

• Subthalamic nucleus• Globus pallidus interna• Zona incerta

Future• Help cure non-motor diseases

• A pacemaker that runs off of the electronic impulses from the body instead of a battery

• Become FDA approved for AD, major depression, epileptics and other neurodegenerative diseases

• Easier to program without having to perform another surgery

• Safer – Less major risks

Works Cited• "Cerebral Cortex." Deep Brain Stimulation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012.

<http://cerebral-cortex.brainfunctionz.com/deep-brain-stimulation/>.• "Deep Brain Stimulation." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 24

Sept. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_brain_stimulation>.• Kranner, Andres, MD. N.p., Nov. 2004. Web.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1176383/>.• Laxton, AW. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S.

National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22722036>.

• Lieb, Wolfgang, MD. JAMA. N.p., 16 Dec. 2009. Web. <http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=185074#METHODS>.

• "MARKTECH." The Technology of the Mark of the Beast. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.rapturechrist.com/666.htm>.

• Pedersen, Tracy. "Brain Pacemaker Relieves Severe Depression | Psych Central News." Psych Central.com. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/04/05/brain-pacemaker-relieves-severe-depression/36974.html>.

• Song, Sora. "How Deep-Brain Stimulation Works." Time. Time, 16 July 2006. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1214939,00.html>.

Questions?