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The first new treatment in 30 years for disabling tremor is available at Saint Louis University. The new system provides relief to patients disabled by Essential Tremor and tremor associated with Parkinson's disease.
On Aug. 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Activa Tremor Control Therapy that includes an implanted pacemaker-like device that delivers mild, electrical stimulation to block the brain signals that cause tremor. Saint Louis University was one of the research sites that participated in study trials of the device.
"This system is exciting because it doesn't require destroying part of the brain in order to provide relief. It's adjustable. It's reversible," said Jaimie Henderson, M.D., SLUCare neurosurgeon. Henderson is one of the few physicians who already has performed the implant surgery; he did so under the experimental research protocol.
Tremor - the disabling, involuntary rhythmic shaking of the limbs or other parts of the body - is the only symptom of Essential Tremor and one of four major symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Tremor takes away a person's ability to perform the most basic tasks. The new Activa Tremor Control Therapy uses the implanted device to suppress tremor and restore the ability to live life more normally, without disabling shaking.
The system includes an insulated wire lead that is surgically implanted deep within the brain's communication center, the thalamus. The lead is connected by an extension wire passed under the skin to an implanted pulse generator, similar to an advanced cardiac pacemaker, which is implanted near the collarbone.
Patients control the stimulation by passing a hand-held magnet over the implanted pulse generator to turn it on or off. To achieve maximum tremor suppression, physicians program the generator to deliver the precise stimulation needed for each individual patient.
Essential Tremor is the most common neurological movement disorder in this country. The condition affects at least a million Americans, usually age 45 or older. Parkinson's disease is a progressive and degenerative neurological disease that affects approximately 500,000 people in the United States. Tremor worsens from mild to disabling at a variable rate, depending on the individual. Currently, thousands of people throughout Europe, Canada and Australia have had the device implanted to control tremor.
FDA approval not only makes the device available to Parkinson's patients, but opens the door to the prospect of additional applications. Henderson is excited about other research possibilities: "Now that the electrode is available, we can look at using it for a variety of conditions, such as chronic pain or other symptoms of Parkinson's."
For additional information about tremor control therapy, call SLUCare at 268-5880.