Brain pacemaker
All content is checked by medical journalists.A brain pacemaker stimulates or inhibits certain areas of the brain. This neurosurgical procedure is also known as deep brain stimulation. The brain pacemaker is used, for example, in the treatment of Parkinson's patients. Read everything about therapy with a brain pacemaker, how it works and what risks it entails.
What is a brain pacemaker?
The brain pacemaker is a technical device that is used to treat various neurological diseases. The neurosurgeon inserts the brain pacemaker - similar to a cardiac pacemaker - into the brain, where it sends high-frequency electrical impulses to certain areas of the brain. This is known as deep brain stimulation. Although the exact mechanism of action of the method has not yet been clarified, it is believed that the electrical impulses inhibit certain areas of the brain and thus alleviate the symptoms of neurological diseases.
When is therapy with a brain pacemaker carried out?
The brain pacemaker is already used in some neurological diseases. Parkinson's is currently the most common reason for its use: Here, deep brain stimulation improves the typical tremor (tremor) and hypermobility (dyskinesia). Other diseases in which patients can benefit from a brain pacemaker include:
- Essential tremor (movement disorder, mostly in the hands)
- Generalized or segmental dystonia (involuntary contraction of skeletal muscles)
- Chorea huntington
- Focal epilepsy
- Psychiatric obsessive-compulsive disorder
Numerous studies are currently being carried out to test the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in other diseases, such as chronic depression.
What do you do in therapy with a brain pacemaker?
Before the doctor uses a brain pacemaker, he examines the patient. He carefully documents the patient's characteristic signs of illness and determines how these develop over the course of the day. An examination of the brain with the magnetic resonance tomograph (MRI) and a memory test follow. On the basis of these preliminary examinations, the doctor can weigh the individual risk of possible side effects in comparison to the advantages arising from the brain pacemaker.
Brain pacemaker: implantation
First, the neurosurgeon fixes the patient's head in a so-called stereotactic ring. This is attached to the skull bone under local anesthesia and prevents the head from moving. A new MRI image of the head provides the necessary information about the brain area you are looking for and enables the access route to be planned precisely.
The neurosurgeon has a clear view of the bony top of the skull through a small incision in the skin. He now drills a tiny hole in the bone through which he inserts several microelectrodes into the brain. Inserting the electrodes is painless because the brain itself has no pain sensors.
Weak, stimulating test impulses via the microelectrodes and the feedback from the addressable patient allow the doctor to localize the brain region to be treated. This is where the surgeon places the final stimulation electrode of the brain pacemaker.
The rest of the operation is performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon then uses the pulse generator of the brain pacemaker below the collarbone or in the chest area under the patient's skin and connects it to the electrodes in the brain via a cable that also runs under the skin. The entire procedure takes about five to six hours.
What are the risks of therapy with a brain pacemaker?
There are some risks with deep brain stimulation that the doctor will explain to the patient about. A distinction is made between the complications that can arise from the surgical intervention and the side effects caused by the electronic stimulation of the brain regions.
Risks from the operation
As with all operations, the procedure can injure blood vessels and cause bleeding. If the bleeding presses on brain tissue, neurological symptoms can occur in rare cases - for example paralysis or speech disorders. However, these usually regress again. Other possible complications are:
- Incorrect placement or slipping of the electrodes, a new intervention may be necessary
- Infections with meningitis or meningitis
- Technical disorders of the brain pacemaker
Electrical Stimulation Risks
The effect and side effects of the electrodes are very different and depend on their location. For example, speech disorders, sensory disorders or visual disorders can occur. A limitation of the ability to think and remember through the brain pacemaker has not yet been proven.
What do I have to consider after a therapy with a brain pacemaker?
The pulse generator of the brain pacemaker can be programmed through the skin and is only switched on a few days after the operation. First of all, you should recover from the procedure and the surgical wounds heal. Please bear in mind that it can take a few weeks for the impulses to be set individually. So be patient if you do not notice the desired success of the treatment right from the start.
Note that the brain pacemaker does not treat the cause of the disease, it only alleviates the symptoms. That means your symptoms will return when the brain pacemaker is turned off or removed.
The batteries of the brain pacemaker are empty after about two to seven years and must be replaced. However, no general anesthesia is necessary for this follow-up operation; local anesthesia is sufficient.
Tags: organ systems prevention sleep
