Karl Walter, an 80-year-old resident of Karlsfeld, has had an impressive and transformative experience with Parkinson's disease. This condition, characterized by a constant shaking, also known as tremor, had severely affected his ability to carry out everyday tasks. Even basic tasks, such as tying a tie or lacing his shoes, posed major challenges for him.
For almost exactly a year, I looked into the treatment option of deep brain stimulation for myself, collected information, spent three days in the clinic to have my suitability tested, weighed up the pros and cons, opportunities and risks, and now the time has come : I will receive my deep brain stimulation on November 16.11.2023th, XNUMX.
I would like to share this with my readers in a multi-part documentary.
Now the effects of GBA mutations on the long-term outcome of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease have been examined in a study with 296 participants. It was found that patients with GBA variants became ill at a younger age, had a shorter duration of illness before deep brain stimulation and had more frequent dyskinesias. After 3 to 5 years, both groups showed improvement in motor symptoms and satisfactory control of fluctuations and dyskinesias. Non-motor symptoms were comparable, except for cognition, which deteriorated more rapidly in GBA Parkinson's patients. Analysis by the exact GBA mutation type is ongoing, but preliminary data suggests that GBA Parkinson's patients benefit from deep brain stimulation just as much as patients without GBA variants.
The recommendations for action published in the Ärzteblatt on July 23, 2023 deal with the use of non-invasive brain stimulation methods (NIBS, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation) for the treatment of mental and neurological diseases.
The NIBS techniques use electrical or electromagnetic currents to stimulate specific areas of the brain. This may prove particularly beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson's, as many patients prefer these non-invasive methods and quite a few consider such treatments exclusively.
Claudia: Of course, I like doing that. A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who helps patients improve mobility and function, reduce pain, and achieve better balance and coordination. This is often done through physical exercises, massage, and the use of specialized equipment.
Focused ultrasound, also known as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), is a noninvasive neurosurgical technique used to treat Parkinson's disease. This method uses focused sound waves to selectively stimulate or destroy areas of the brain responsible for Parkinson's symptoms. Focused ultrasound is typically used to treat tremor, which is a common symptom in people with Parkinson's disease.
It will soon be October 26th, the day of my surgery.
A year with a significantly better quality of life lies between the operation and today. I haven't regretted the operation for a second.
I need half of the medication I used to take, if at all. The side effects of the medication are correspondingly lower. I often feel so good that I forget to take my pills.
Everyone who knows me says I'm in a much better mood now, I seem more stable, more energetic, I'm walking faster again and I'm gesticulating. My diagnosis of Idiopathic Parkinson's Syndrome is still not visible on the street.
And depending on how I feel on the day, not always, but quite often, I type – for example this report – using touch typing just as quickly as I used to.
All of my expectations that I had of the operation have been fully met (though you also need to know what to expect and what not).
Impressions from the PingPongParkinson World Championships in Pula 2022
Neurology is a medical specialty and deals with the research and treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system as well as muscle diseases. Typical diseases are migraines, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, stroke or forms of dementia.
Neurologists treat around one million patients a year in clinics alone. Not only widespread diseases such as migraines and polyneuropathy are treated, but also serious diseases such as tumors or multiple sclerosis. Below you will find a list of the most common neurological diseases in Germany:
Two self-help groups worth mentioning have recently started.
On the one hand, there is the Facebook community "It wasn't planned that way". The Facebook group only accepts members under the age of 55 and is therefore aimed at the ever-increasing number of people diagnosed with Parkinson's at a young age.
The moderator Nina Juncker, mother, working pharmacist, herself suffering from Parkinson's disease at a young age, knows the problems of these PmPler* only too well from her own experience. *PwP = person with Parkinson's disease