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Parkinson's Disease Working Group
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Cure Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating, progressive neurological disorder, which affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. Cells in the substantia nigra (an area in the brainstem that produces the neurotransmitter dopamine) degenerate over time, leading to symptoms of tremor, rigidity, and slowness of movement. The Parkinson’s Disease Research Working Group of the SINTN is committed to unraveling the mysteries of PD and to discovering new treatments for this presently incurable disease.
Highlights of the Parkinson's Disease Working Group
Dr. Helen Bronte-Stewart, director of the Stanford Comprehensive Movement Disorders Center, has pioneered new methods for precisely measuring the movement problems in PD. These quantitative methods provide a common basis for comparing wide-ranging research projects that investigate everything from single-cell recordings to changes in clinical status with medication and surgical intervention.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Jaimie Henderson has developed cutting-edge techniques in deep brain stimulation: Small wires are introduced into the malfunctioning brain areas and attached to a pacemaker, which delivers tiny electrical pulses to calm the tremors and reduce the stiffness in patients with PD. Dr. Henderson’s innovations have improved accuracy and decreased operating time and discomfort for patients who must remain awake during the procedure.
Drs. Henderson and Bronte-Stewart are carrying out a series of complementary research projects aimed at understanding the “language of the brain”—how brain cells communicate, and how that communication breaks down in Parkinson’s disease. Activity from hundreds of brain cells can be recorded at once during deep brain stimulation surgery while the patient performs movement tasks. In collaboration with biomedical engineer Dr. Krishna Shenoy, the signals are analyzed to provide a highly detailed description of brain activity. This groundbreaking research will redefine our understanding of how the brain functions during normal and abnormal movement, leading to dramatic improvements in treatment and diagnosis of PD.
The Stanford University movement disorders program is a leader in the “operating room as laboratory” concept. Because of the emphasis on research during surgery, we are uniquely positioned to undertake projects, which translate new ideas in basic science into effective therapies for PD patients. New sources of funding are needed to bring some of Stanford’s many basic research insights into the clinical realm as we strive for better treatments and eventually a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
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