The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the Henry Ford Health System https://www.henryford.com now offers a new FDA-approved device to help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Neurosurgeon Jason Schwalb, MD has surgically implanted the Vercise Genus ™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System which stimulates a targeted region of the brain through implanted leads that are placed in the brain. The leads are powered by a device called an implantable pulse generator which sits under the skin in the chest.
Over the past 25 years, more than 160,000 DBS systems have been surgically implanted in patients worldwide to help treat movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. The Vercise Genus DBS System, the 4th generation of the platform, received FDA approval in January 2021 The system is small, thin, and allows patients to safely undergo MRI scans when certain conditions are met.
According to Dr. Schwalb, “The new Deep Brain Stimulation System has the ability to adapt therapy to address fluctuations in symptoms along with the progressive nation of the condition, which allows us to control stimulation precisely and minimize unwanted side effects.”
When the Vercise Genus DBS System is turned on, the implanted pulse generator sends a pre- determined program of mild electrical impulses to stimulate the brain. Unlike traditional DBS Systems built from pacemaker technology, the Vercise Genus DBS System technology was developed from cochlear implant technology.
The new DBS System is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity to provide enhanced communication during programming. The Systems’ proprietary Cartesia3D provides physicians and patients the precise control of stimulation they need to optimize therapy, and the ability to deliver the prescribed amount of therapy to target different regions of the brains to help address changes in symptoms during the progression of the condition.