The premier functional neurosurgeon in the Central Valley told the Times this week that literally thousands of people being treated for Parkinson’s disease in this region could benefit from hearing his presentation on Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).
“I always advise my patients that they’re their own best advocate, and they know what their symptoms look like on a day-to-day basis, and what their struggles and their successes are with their treatment paradigm for their disease,” said Dr. Mark Krel of the Community Neurosciences Institute of Fresno. “If they think they would consider a treatment that reduces the amount of medication that they take, potentially is more effective than the medication that they take, and reduces their on-off fluctuations, and keeps them in their ‘on-state’ all the time, then they should consider learning about DBS.”
Krel was talking about a neurosurgical procedure often described as a “pacemaker for the brain.” It involves surgically implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain to deliver mild electrical impulses that regulate abnormal nerve signaling. The therapy is primarily used to manage symptoms of movement disorders and other neurological conditions when medications are no longer effective or cause significant side effects. After a battery-powered pulse generator, usually placed in the upper chest near the collarbone, is safely programmed by a specialist, the patient can increase or decrease the strength of their stimulation as they need to. DBS is considered adjustable.”
Dr. Krel will be offering a comprehensive look at DBS treatment options during the 21st annual Parkinson’s Symposium on Thursday, April 16, starting at 9:30 a.m., at the Park Merced Assisted Living Center, 3050 M St., in Merced. The symposium is sponsored by Boston Scientific and Amie Marchini Senior Care. Space is limited, and registration is required. Go online to: https://LearnDBS.com/1658. For help, call (209) 722-3944.
Learning about DBS doesn’t obligate patients or their family members to anything, Dr. Krel said. But he added: “It is a safe and proven method of treating several disorders, of which, Parkinson’s is one of them,” he said. “It’s extraordinarily effective, and it has been around a long time. The first commercial implants were in the 1990s. But it had been done experimentally for two decades before that. At this point, there have been over 700,000 implants in the United States alone.”
The treatment is not for all patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Dr. Krel stresses that there is a “golden window” of opportunity that depends on the patient’s response to medication and potential risk factors.
Good candidates for DBS, he said, are those patients who are taking medication to such frequency that they’re having side effects, or that they’re taking medication with such frequency that they don’t have time to do other things in normal daily living, or that they’re experiencing significant “on-off fluctuations” when medication efficacy falls off. He also noted that research has shown a slower rate of Parkinson’s progression when DBS is implanted earlier in the course of the disease.
To be clear, DBS is not salvage therapy for Parkinson’s, the doctor stated. “The DBS needs to go in earlier in the course before the medications have failed, but not so early that they’re taking one or two pills a day and they’re generally fine.”
The Stanford-trained medical expert has been helping to bring advanced treatment to Parkinson’s patients in the valley for several years. There have been about 200 DBS implants performed at Fresno Community Regional Medical Center since March of 2024.
Interestingly, the Central Valley of California has one of the highest incidence rates of Parkinson’s in the world. This area is sometimes referred to as “Parkinson’s Alley” by researchers due to elevated risks linked to environmental exposure to pesticides involved in agriculture, and reduced air flow in a zone surrounded by mountains.
In addition to the symposium on April 16, Amie Marchini Senior Care is proud to host monthly Parkinson’s Support Group meetings as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting seniors in the community.
Last March 19, the group was honored to welcome Danielle Beliveau, staff services analyst II with the Area Agency on Aging, as a guest speaker. Beliveau delivered an engaging and informative presentation on the nationally recognized A Matter of Balance program, which is designed to help older adults reduce the fear of falling and increase their activity levels. As a follow-up, Matter of Balance classes will begin on May 11 at 9:30 a.m. at Park Merced Assisted Living. Space is limited for these classes, and registration is required. For more information, please contact the Area Agency on Aging at (209) 385-7550.