How probes in the brain can improve the lives of Parkinson's patients

Mar 17, 2025

How probes in the brain can improve the lives of Parkinson’s patients

At Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, neurologists are pioneering the use of adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) to improve the lives of Parkinson’s patients. Unlike conventional deep brain stimulation, this new technology continuously measures neuronal activity and adjusts stimulation in real-time, responding directly to pathological signals in the brain.

One of the patients benefiting from this method is under the care of Prof. Andrea Kühn, spokesperson for TRR 295 ReTune. She reports a significant improvement in quality of life. However, the method is not universally effective: another patient discontinued the treatment after seeing no benefit.

Although these brain implants show great promise, the technology remains in development and requires further research to optimize stimulation parameters for each patient. While a DBS is not a cure, it is an important step toward more personalized and effective treatments for movement disorders.