Advancements in Brain Pacemakers May Improve Parkinson's Patients' Quality of Life

DBS devices need maintenance. The batteries from these devices cannot be recharged, so they have to be replaced. The hardware can wear and tear after long usage. For Medtronic, their devices cannot be hacked. There is also a signal technology that is encrypted and algorithms that enable to connect with remote controls.

Although much advancement has been made, doctors and experts are still trying to understand how doses of electricity help relieve the symptoms of brain impairments. Physicians still have a debate whether DBS can affect how brain cells function or alter the biology and chemical composition of the brain. They also wonder if a combination of these two occurs.

Okun said that what these doctors and experts know is that the electricity introduced can prevent the cells located near the leads to send signals. Axons or the pipe-like neuron cells are stimulated as well. This electricity also changes the chemistry of the brain through the fluid where neurons are located.