Patch for electrical stimulation
 

I know, it sounds crazy, but there is a patch you put on your forehead at night and it apparently works the same as brain surgery (this article deals with trigeminal neuralgia...remember Dr. Jannetta and his surgery for decompressing compressed arteries in the brain?) Here's the link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/96...psy-patch.html

There is also an implant being used for epilepsy, implanted into the chest, it sends electrical impulses to the vagus nerve, which we have talked about many times here. Sounds much like DBS except that it's put into the chest and stimulates a different target....wonder what that might do to PD symptoms?

I have been told about an exterior DBS sort of device in the works by one neuro and a few PWP that supposedly attaches to the ear, so this may or may not work. I would be afraid of frying my brain :eek:

VNS seems so promising. To benefit PD symptoms requires less voltage than for controlling epilepsy. One study concluded that VNS increases noradrenaline through stimulation of the locus coeruleus (LC). This makes sense because PD people usually lose or have less noradrenaline circulating. Another big why do we only have DBS as the only option?

Not only, it is thought that PD begins in the LC! If they could start the stimulation early enough it may just ward off full-blown PD. Sadly there is very little research out there on VNS and PD.