06-22-2022 Primetime Livnig - Flipbook - Page 4
4 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, June 22, 2022
MOVEMENT DISORDER
Treatment for
movement disorders
FDA approved ultrasound
for Parkinson’s and
Essential Tremor
By Linda L. Esterson, Contributing Writer
M
ovement disorders are defined as neurological conditions that cause abnormal, of the Department of Neurosurgery at
increased or decreased movements that may be voluntary or involuntary. These
conditions can transpire due to heredity and the passing along of altered DNA.
The most common movement disorders include Parkinson’s disease and
essential tremor. Both involve what’s
called the basal ganglia, the group of
subcortical nuclei in the deep cerebral
hemispheres of the brain that control
movement. Parkinson’s disease occurs
following cell loss in the substantia nigra.
Damage to these cells leads to tremors, rigidity of muscles, difficulty initiating movement and limiting functioning.
When deficits occur in the neurotransmitters of the brain, usually in older adults,
movement is impacted. According to the
Parkinson’s Foundation, nearly 1 million
people in the United States are living with
Parkinson’s disease, with 60,000 new
diagnoses occurring each year.
Essential tremor, in the form of rhythmic shaking of the hands, head, trunk or
voice, is the most common movement
disorder, estimated to occur 10 times
more often than Parkinson’s disease.
Essential tremor can be life changing, so
bad in some cases that those affected
cannot function in public or perform their
jobs. They find difficulty holding a cup
or glass without spilling, eating without
shaking, writing legibly or talking.
Medication management
Medication is used to minimize tremors and shakiness. For essential tremor,
medication like propranolol is prescribed
to control the symptoms. Over time, however, the body may develop a tolerance
to the drug.
With some Parkinson’s disease cases,
the missing or impacted neurotransmitter can be replaced with medication. Sometimes, however, the medication causes symptoms that are just as
objectionable as those associated with
the movement disorder itself. A common side effect, according to Howard
Eisenberg, M.D., R.K. Thompson Chair
the University of Maryland, is dyskinesia. It’s a movement disorder different than Parkinson’s. With Parkinson’s,
limbs are rigid and difficult to move,
let alone walk. Taking medication like
dopamine can result in a restlessness,
a state of constant movement, which
can be almost grotesque, Dr. Eisenberg
explains. “Some patients would rather be
that way, moving all the time, with writhing kind of movements, rather than be
rigid. It can be a cruel disease.”
Actor Michael J. Fox has faced his
battle with Parkinson’s publicly, and he’s
written several books about his ordeal.
Fox explains the control of Parkinson’s
as having a cat’s tail under your foot and
the foot shakes and the cat runs away.
“That’s really the picture of medical management of Parkinson’s,” says
Dr. Eisenberg. “It’s a balance between
the medication and the side effects of
the medication. Patients who’ve had
Parkinson’s for a while, frequently manage their own medication because they
know what they can tolerate. Sometimes
they have the side effects of the medication which can be really horrendous,
rather than the stiffness and rigidity of
the disease itself.”
Additional treatments
Once the diseases progress and the
side effects of the medication make life
difficult to manage, patients may opt
for more advanced treatment. The gold
standard, according to Dr. Eisenberg, is
deep brain stimulation (DBS).
During DBS, conducted under local
anesthesia, electrodes are implanted on
targeted structures that control movement, on both sides of the brain. The
electrodes are connected to a pacemaker-like device, that is implanted along
with connection wires under the skin
above the chest, near the collarbone.
The device delivers electrical stimulation
at a high frequency to block signals that
cause symptoms. The device is adjustable, based on changes in the patient’s
condition.
Cala bracelets
Some physicians suggest patients try
the Cala Trio therapy, which is a weighted bracelet that stimulates the nerves
Movement disorders,
continued on page 31