Neurologists and neurosurgeons have used electrical stimulation since the 1960s as a way to locate and distinguish specific sites in the brain. In the process, they discovered that stimulation of certain brain structures could suppress the symptoms of neurological disorders such as essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
Medtronic developed deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology in the 1980s in conjunction with leading physician researchers. In 1987, professors Alim-Louis Benabid and Pierre Pollak of the University of Grenoble in France published the results of the first application of DBS for the treatment of movement disorders.¹ Since then, Activa DBS has been approved to treat three conditions:
Essential Tremor
Activa DBS for Essential Tremor Control was approved in Canada, Europe and Australia in 1995 and in the United States in 1997. It targets the thalamus to suppress tremor associated with ET. The thalamus is the brain's message relay center and is intricately involved in movement control.
Parkinson's Disease
Activa DBS for Parkinson's Control was approved in the United States in 2002. It has been available in Canada, Europe and Australia since 1998. Activa DBS for Parkinson's Control targets the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the internal globus pallidus (GPi) to suppress some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The STN and GPi are also intricately involved in movement control.
Dystonia
In April 2003, Activa DBS for Dystonia received Humanitarian Device Exemption approval in the United States to aid in the management of chronic, intractable primary dystonia, including generalized and segmental dystonia, hemidystonia, and cervical dystonia (torticollis) for individuals 7 years of age or older. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated.
About Medtronic
Medtronic is the world leader in medical technology providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. We offer products, therapies and services that enhance or extend the lives of millions of people. Every five seconds a person benefits from Medtronic's technology, used to treat conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, and vascular disease. For more information about Medtronic, visit us at www.medtronic.com.
1Benabid AL, Pollak P, Louveau A, et al. Combined (thalamotomy and stimulation) stereotactic surgery of the VIM thalamic nucleus for bilateral Parkinson disease. Appl Neurophysiol 1987;50:344-346.
