Understanding the Science Behind Deep Brain Stimulation

For anyone living with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, or dystonia, those abnormal signals can cause tremors, stiffness, slowed movement, and muscle contractions. Not surprisingly, these symptoms can make it difficult (or even impossible) to perform daily tasks. 

Enter: Deep brain stimulation. While it doesn’t cure the underlying condition, it can help reduce symptoms when medication alone isn’t providing enough control.

Deep brain stimulation sounds futuristic, but the idea behind it is surprisingly practical: when abnormal brain signals disrupt your movement, deep brain stimulation uses electrical pulses to help regulate them.

Our team of expert providers offers deep brain stimulation here in Camarillo, Northridge, Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Santa Barbara, California. If you or a loved one is struggling with a movement disorder, we encourage you to reach out.

In the meantime, read on to learn more about the science behind deep brain simulation.

What is deep brain stimulation?

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment that involves placing thin electrodes in specific areas of your brain. 

A deep brain stimulation system usually has three main parts: 

• The electrode placed in your brain
• The extension wire that runs under your skin
• The pulse generator (battery pack) that powers the stimulation 

These electrodes connect to a small implantable pulse generator, which is often placed near your collarbone or under the skin near your chest. It’s this pulse generator that sends carefully controlled electrical impulses to specific brain circuits. 

You can think of it almost like a pacemaker for the brain. Instead of controlling heart rhythm, though, deep brain stimulation helps regulate abnormal electrical activity in brain areas involved in movement and other neurological functions.

Getting started with deep brain stimulation

Once we’ve determined that deep brain stimulation is right for you, it’s time to implant the device and set up the electrodes. 

After the device is implanted, it must be programmed. That programming process is one of the most important parts of deep brain stimulation care. Your Link Integrated Healthcare provider adjusts the stimulation settings to find the balance between symptom relief and side effects.

This process can take time, and settings may need to be fine-tuned over several visits.

How deep brain stimulation works in your brain

Your brain depends on electrical and chemical signals to coordinate movement. In certain neurological conditions, those signals become disrupted, which can lead to symptoms like:

• Tremor
• Rigidity
• Stiffness
• Involuntary movements 

Deep brain stimulation delivers mild electrical stimulation to a precise area. For example, if you have Parkinson’s disease, we may target your globus pallidus internus. This is an area of your brain that helps regulate intended movement. 

If you have essential tremor, we may target your thalamus. This area of your brain relays and integrates sensory and movement information.

In other words, deep brain stimulation helps to change abnormal signaling patterns within brain circuits rather than simply “turning off” one area of the brain. 

What conditions can deep brain stimulation help treat?

Deep brain stimulation can help with movement disorders, including:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Essential tremor
• Dystonia
• Epilepsy

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that deep brain stimulation is commonly used when symptoms aren’t well controlled with medication. 

What deep brain stimulation can and can’t do

Deep brain stimulation can be life-changing for the right person, but it’s important to understand its limits.

It can help reduce symptoms such as tremor or involuntary movements, and it may also allow some people to reduce certain medications, depending on their diagnosis and response. 

However, deep brain stimulation doesn’t cure neurological conditions. Instead, it helps manage your symptoms by changing how abnormal brain signals move through your brain.

For example, deep brain stimulation of your thalamus can reduce epilepsy seizures by 62%, but it doesn’t “cure” epilepsy. Still, that reduction can translate to a huge improvement in your quality of life.

Is it right for you?

Deep brain stimulation works by using precise electrical pulses to influence abnormal brain circuits. For certain people, that can mean better movement control, fewer disruptive symptoms, and improved quality of life.

If you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, or another movement disorder, Link Integrated Healthcare can help you understand whether advanced neurological evaluation and treatment options may be appropriate.

Click here to schedule a consultation or call the location of your choice to get started.