The Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center is currently conducting a large number of clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. We are conducting studies ranging from phase I to phase 4 including evaluating treatments that have potential to slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease as well as evaluating in number of innovative new treatments to improve symptoms in patients with early, mid-stage, and advanced Parkinson’s disease. Many of the studies are sponsored by the National Institutes of Health while other studies involve evaluating the effect of new medications developed by the pharmaceutical industry.
DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION
Learn about surgical treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, focusing on deep brain stimulation. We discuss indications for surgery, methodology, target sites, hardware, programming, risks, benefits, limitations and typical results. It is important to consider clinical trials prior to Deep Brain Stimulation because once you have had DBS you no longer qualify for most studies and the procedure is irreversible.
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
At the Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center we take a comprehensive approach to achieve your well being. We provide all proven, effective and promising available treatments options such as prescribing a health diet & exercise, correctly administering proven medications, deep brain stimulation, as well offering patients opportunities to take part in clinical trials which at times is the most appropriate course of action. We have a full set of tools in our tool box. If you go to a DBS specialist, they are most likely going to advise brain surgery. When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Come to the Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Center, where we have a comprehensive approach to your care and weigh all the options carefully in consideration of what is best for you.
Deep Brain Stimulation Education
OVERVIEW
Surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease is indicated for patients who have disabling motor complications despite maximal drug therapy. This includes disabling levodopa-induced dyskinesias, medication-refractory disabling tremor or marked motor fluctuations in which there is variation in mobility from extremely immobile to good functioning. Surgical treatment is very helpful to treat motor complications, but with the exception of improving tremor does not significantly improve the patient’s best response to levodopa. Effectively, surgery allows patients to function as they do during their best peak time on levodopa, with significant reduction in dyskinesia and marked reduction in motor fluctuations.
INDICATIONS
Preoperative response to levodopa is the best indicator of a patient’s response to surgical treatment. In general, patients who are good candidates for surgery have had Parkinson’s disease for five to ten years or more and have significant disability as a result of motor fluctuations, dyskinesias, or disabling tremor. They should not have significant cognitive impairment or dementia since surgery may, in fact, worsen this problem. Because of the risks of surgery, there should be a reasonable expectation of several years of life expectancy following surgery for the risk-benefit ratio to be reasonable. Even elderly patients who are in good general health and are cognitively well may be considered for surgery if they otherwise fulfill the criteria.