Kuala Lumpur, 24 April 2019 — Researchers in Ontario, Canada have reportedly developed a treatment that has been able to restore mobility to patients living with chronic Parkinson’s disease.
As the disease progresses, 25 percent of patients suffer from movement problems. Their limbs freeze up causing for most to fall and injure themselves. Most become home-bound, fearful of becoming seriously injured. This can last for decades.
The treatment developed at the Lawson Health Research Institute involves an implant which boosts electrical signals between parts of the brain involved in movement and the limbs. The treatment was found to be long-lasting and even worked when the implant was deactivated.
This development provided a new understanding into how Parkinson’s disease affects the signal pathways of the brain, and possible innovative approaches to rehabilitation.
Examination of brain scans of the affected areas found that those who received the treatment, found restored activity. This suggests that the areas damaged by the disease were able to be reawakened, restoring the feedback mechanism from the legs to the brain, allowing for functionality and movement.
Parkinson’s disease currently has no treatment, making this hopeful development particularly significant for patients who have suffered from decreased mobility, productivity, confidence.
Parkinson’s UK, when contacted by the BBC, emphasised on the potential of this treatment to dramatically improve patients’ quality of life, restoring the ability and freedom to do everyday activities.