A new treatment path has opened for Parkinson's disease patients who have hit the limits of medication therapy. Deep brain stimulation has restored 70% of motor function while reducing medication dosage to one-third.
According to Gachon University Gil Medical Center on the 4th, a team led by Professor Park Kwang-woo (Neurosurgery) at the Parkinson's Center analyzed 21 severe Parkinson's disease patients who underwent deep brain stimulation from last year through this year. Most subjects had taken medication for an average of more than five years but failed to achieve symptom control.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment that delivers electrical stimulation through electrodes inserted deep into the brain. It alleviates Parkinson's symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and slow movement by regulating neural circuits. Professor Park explained it as "an 'electronic medicine' treatment that complements or replaces medication effects."
Study results showed the motor function assessment scale (UPDRS III) score decreased by 34 points, from an average of 48 points before surgery to 14 points after. This indicates significant relief of major symptoms including tremors, muscle rigidity, and bradykinesia. Patients showed substantial improvement in daily living activities such as walking and eating independently.
Medication dependency also decreased significantly. Daily levodopa dosage dropped 66%, from 1,352mg before surgery to 458mg after. Parkinson's disease is characterized by increasingly unstable medication effects and rising dosages over time. Long-term levodopa use increases the risk of side effects such as dyskinesia, hallucinations, and delirium, making dosage reduction significant for quality of life improvement.
Deep brain stimulation is also applied to essential tremor, dystonia, and intractable pain beyond Parkinson's disease. Gachon University Gil Medical Center's Parkinson's Center has been enhancing treatment effectiveness through customized stimulation settings based on clinical experience accumulated since 2019.
Professor Park emphasized, "Patients showed substantial functional recovery and marked reduction in medication dependency," adding, "Considering surgery at the appropriate time can fundamentally improve the quality of life for Parkinson's disease patients."