BRIGHT SPARK

Medical treatments that use electricity

THIS week: Parkinson’s or epilepsy DEEP brain stimulation is used to treat conditions including Parkinson’s and epilepsy, and is also being investigated for depression, anorexia and dementia.

Electrodes are implanted in areas of the brain to regulate abnormal impulses. The amount of stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in the upper chest. A wire connects it to the electrodes.

It may also help with nerve pain — researchers at Oxford University have used the technology to tackle nerve pain caused by a stroke, with results showing average pain relief of around 40 to 50 per cent. And when researchers at the University of California used the device in patients with Parkinson’s, they found it also reduced tinnitus.

This is because the impulses passed through the caudate nucleus, part of the brain involved in noise perception. A trial is underway to treat tinnitus patients.