‘Life-changing’ surgery provides relief from Parkinson’s tremors

Today’s technology – and medicine – is yesterday’s research.

John Hoshal spent over 35 years mapping data for the State of Minnesota. He saw the technology evolve from key-punch cards that were manually fed into a main frame computer to today’s web-based mapping applications.

Hoshal was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007. He experienced severe tremors first in one leg and then in one arm – making it hard for him to do the job he found so fulfilling, or to enjoy favorite activities like home improvement projects or bike rides with family and friends. A decade later, an innovative medical treatment got his symptoms under control, allowing him to get back to doing what he loves.

Deep brain stimulation, also known as neuromodulation, was discovered as a potential therapy for Parkinson’s in the late 1980s. New research has made it more effective and customizable for each patient’s symptoms.

To administer it, a neurosurgeon first places an electrode inside the patient’s brain. This electrode is connected to a pacemaker-like device in the patient’s chest. This device delivers electrical stimulation to the electrode, regulating the abnormal electrical signals of Parkinson’s that can cause tremors, stiffness, and slowness.