Researchers Reach Consensus on Use of DBS for Parkinson's Disease

Doctor's Guide -- LOS ANGELES -- October 13, 2010 -- Since the late 1990s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a lifeline for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications. Yet despite its effectiveness, there has been no consensus on several aspects of the use of DBS, including which patients make the best candidates, where the optimal location for the placement of electrodes is, and the role that still exists for surgical removal of the damaged areas of the brain.