Long-term Spinal Cord Stimulation Stalls Symptoms of Parkinson’s-like Disease

In a study published by the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at Duke Medicine found that long-term spinal-cord stimulation appears to produce improvements in symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease — caused by the progressive loss of neurons — affects movements, muscle control and balance. The results of the study showed a significant improvement in rats with Parkinson’s-like symptoms, after researchers applied electrical stimulation to a particular location in the dorsal column twice a week, for 30-minute sessions. The recovery included improved motor skills, a reversal of severe weight loss, and better neuron survival. The findings suggest that the treatment can protect against the loss of or damage to neurons. To read more about this study, click here.