Parkinson's: Study examines the potential of spinal cord stimulation

They have published their findings in the journal Bioelectronic Medicine.The researchers set out to determine whether spinal cord stimulation could be a singular therapy for Parkinson’s disease and a salvage therapy, in people for whom DBS is increasingly ineffective.The study included 15 participants, with a mean age of 74 years. However, those who chose the cycling mode had a 7% worsening in these scores.While many of the results seem promising, it is important to note that spinal cord stimulation carries some risks and may cause complications, including bleeding at the site of insertion.The researchers also acknowledge that their study design had a limitation: They were unable to determine whether the improvements in scores stemmed from the stimulation itself or the resulting decrease in pain, which allowed for more mobility.The team of researchers, based in the U.S. and Japan, observe:“Spinal cord stimulation is an emerging technology that can potentially be utilized to treat both the motor and nonmotor symptoms, such as pain, that patients with Parkinson’s disease deal with on a daily basis.”Another limitation involved the fact that the patients did not receive the spinal cord stimulators in the exact same location, due to differences in how their pain presented.