FDA OKs adaptive brain pacemaker for Parkinson's treatment
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The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted its first approval for a pacemaker-like device for the brain to ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the United States.
Why it matters: Medtronic, the device's manufacturer, said this will be the largest-ever commercial rollout of brain-computer interface technology.
State of play: The implant uses more than 30-year-old brain pacemaker technology and adjusts treatment to patient needs in the moment.
- Algorithms sense motor symptoms of Parkinson's and produce a level of brain stimulation to prevent them that can be adjusted to what the patient needs at a given moment.
- That's viewed as preferable to the constant electric currents used in traditional deep brain stimulation devices that can produce unpleasant side effects.
- Clinical trial results published in August showed that the device reduced involuntary movements and other symptoms by 50% in four patients who had Parkinson's for at least 10 years.
- Adaptive deep brain stimulation has also shown promise in treating conditions like depression and chronic pain.
Case in point: John Lipp, who has Parkinson's and received the adaptive implant, said the device essentially eliminated uncontrollable muscle movements caused by the condition. It allowed him to keep working a job he loves and run in the NYC Marathon in 2024, he said.
- "Parkinson's is a complicated, degenerative disease that manifests differently in every person. Having a DBS implant that adapts to me personally, whether it's situational or a result of the disease progression, is life-changing," he said in an email to Axios.
Yes, but: The technology doesn't change the trajectory of Parkinson's, which currently doesn't have a cure.
What's next: Brain-computer interface technology is rapidly advancing. Companies including Elon Musk's Neuralink are conducting clinical trials to test implants that allow people with paralysis to translate their thoughts into physical actions.
