YNHH marks milestone in treating Parkinson's Disease & essential tremors

Jason Gerrard, MD, PhD, chief of Trauma Neurosurgery, Yale New Haven Hospital (left), hosted an April 5 celebration to mark the 100th YNHH patient to receive a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implant. The device, called a neurostimulator, is surgically implanted in the brain to help control the types of involuntary, neurological movements – such as shaking – often seen in patients with Parknison’s disease and essential tremors, a nerve disorder. About the size of a stopwatch, the battery-operated DBS device delivers electrical stimulation to targeted brain areas to block abnormal nerve signals. DBS is appropriate for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications.