Tremor Control Therapy, which is now used world-wide and involves mild electrical stimulation of the thalamus to control Essential Tremor and tremor associated with Parkinson's disease. The new therapy appears to block the brain signals that cause the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The Activa System, which is totally implanted, includes a neurostimulator connected by an extension to a thin wire lead with four tiny electrodes near the tip. The neurostimulator, which contains a battery and microelectronic circuitry, is placed under the skin near the collarbone and provides the mild electrical stimulation that is carried through the lead to the electrodes implanted deep in the brain. The level of stimulation can be adjusted externally to meet individual patient needs.
Patients use a hand-held magnet to turn the system on and off.
The therapy is completely reversible. The new therapy may be of special benefit to the many Parkinson's patients who no longer find antiparkinsonian medication to be effective. These fluctuations are impossible to predict. According to the patients' own diaries, their ability to function normally and independently each day more than doubled, from five hours prior to Activa Therapy to 11 hours a day after receiving the therapy. Lower dosages of medication reduce drug-related side effects.