A patient’s success story
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| Medtronics, Inc. (2005) |
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| The illustration of the result of the DBS procedure shows how the electrodes implanted in the brain are connected to small power packs and controllers implanted in the chest. |
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Mark was born in Michigan in 1979 with hyperkinetic dystonia. He suffered from violent, uncontrolled motions throughout his body. As a young child he made some progress. He learned to talk, walk, manipulate objects with his hands and learned to ride a bicycle. But when he was about six, his condition began to get worse. Heavier and heavier dosages of sedatives were needed to repress his controllable movements. By the time Mark was 12, it had reached the point where he was taking so much medication that he was barely conscious and his quality of life was very poor.
Then, In 2001. when Mark was 12 years old, Dr. Konrad implanted a pair of stimulating electrodes in his brain. A month after the operation, the surgeon programmed the electrodes to optimize the suppression effect of the tiny electric signals that they produce. Home video clips document the dramaticimprovement that Mark made as a result of the operation. The video is narrated by Dr. Konrad.
Today, Mark’s dystonia is under control and he is living a relatively normal life. In fact, he recently joined a Boy Scout troop and enjoys hiking and camping out. The only restriction the doctors have put on him is a prohibition against playing violent sports like football.
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