DBS involves implanting a thin wire, called a lead, into the brain. An electrical current is sent through the wire until neurosurgeons find the frequency that best neutralizes the patient’s symptoms and controls the tremor. The patient stays in the hospital overnight and then comes back two weeks later to have a controller placed for the stimulator, which works like a pacemaker for the brain.
Patients’ shaking or tremors are caused by their cells not firing at a normal rate. The device sends electrical impulses through the wire and into the brain, which makes the cells fire at a normal rate and controls the tremor.
To find out if DBS is right for you, talk to your neurologist or contact one of our board certified neurologists on staff who are specially trained to assess for DBS treatment and coordinate patients through the process.