WASHINGTON: Patients with Parkinson’s disease show significant improvement after six months of deep brain stimulation, but the invasive treatment also carries the risk of serious complications, researchers reported on Wednesday.

The study in the Jan 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that patients showed improvement in motor skills and experienced an overall improvement in quality of life after six months of brain stimulation compared with other treatment.

The procedure, frequently used when medical treatment appears to be ineffective, involves surgically implanting electrodes that stimulate specific parts of the brain to reduce involuntary movements and trembling.

But the authors also noted that brain stimulation is associated with “less desirable consequences” including infection, nervous system disorders, psychiatric disorders, cardiac problems and “behavioural effects” and said more research is needed.

The study found that motor function following the procedure improved significantly, including a reduction in involuntary movements, in 71 per cent of patients, compared to 32 per cent of patients receiving medical therapy.—AFP