New Deep Brain Stimulation System Improves Quality of Life for Woman with Parkinson’s Disease
“Everyone there, when I go in, they go the extra mile,” she
said. “I see Dr. Thakkar every three months, and he is very caring.
When I need something, he takes care of it. I never worry about not being
able to get a hold of him. I know that with him, I’ve got it covered.”
Lisa LeGrand recently became the first person in California to receive
an advanced Deep Brain Stimulation system newly designed for people like
her who have Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders.
But the “first” that most impressed Lisa was this: For the
first time in years, she walked through her house without having to touch
her walls or furniture for support.
“It’s like magic,” she said. “I have a path through
the house, and when I walk, I had to hold on to chairs and things to catch
my balance. Yesterday, I was walking without having to touch anything
that was a major improvement. It’s been a long time since I could
do that. It’s been years.”
Lisa was diagnosed in 2005, at the age of 50 – the same age her father
was when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Her father died
of complications from the disease at age 66, the same age she is now.
It is difficult not to keep these ages in the back of her mind: Yet, she
said her neurologist
Sandeep Thakkar, D.O. – a specialist in the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders
program of
Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, often reminds her that her father did not have access to the same expertise
or advances in medical technology.
“He’s right,” Lisa said, of Dr. Thakkar. “I have
nothing but glowing things to say. The technology is important, but it
alone can’t account for my treatment. I get such good treatment.
If I have a problem, I know I can send Dr. Thakkar or his PA Cheryl Kyinn
an email and they respond almost immediately. He and Dr. Duma provide
excellent care. I am just blessed to have the doctors that I have.”
Christopher Duma, M.D, medical director of the Brain Tumor Program at Hoag’s Pickup Family
Neurosciences Institute, implanted the Percept PC neurostimulator with
BrainSense™ technology into Lisa’s brain on July 13. It is
a small pacemaker-like device that detects her brain signals and uses
the information to instantly target tailored radio-wave impulses to specific
areas in her brain.
Lisa went home the same day, and immediately noticed a change. She is no
longer experiencing “freezing,” the sudden, temporary inability
to move that is common with Parkinson’s disease. Her balance is
better, and she is feeling more confident.
“The doctor sets the device so that if I have a problem with one
of my sides, he can adjust certain pulses to work on that specific area,
to get rid of the abnormal electrical messages that I’m getting,” she said.
Lisa received her first generation DBS system in 2010, 13 years after Hoag
became one of the first hospitals in the country to provide this innovative
therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Since then, Dr. Duma has replaced
the battery in Lisa’s DBS device three times. But she decided to
delay a fourth battery change while waiting for the Percept to receive
FDA approval.
The wait, though not long, was more difficult than Lisa had expected.
“When my battery went out, I needed assistance to go the restroom,
I had a hard time walking. I’d walk into walls,” she said.
“I didn’t realize how much I was dependent on it.”
One of the innovations with the new DBS system is the ability to alternate
between three different algorithms. Each uniquely alters the electrical
pulses she receives, as based on the real time feedback loop from the
brain’s activity detected by the device sensor. Lisa has the ability
to test each one to determine which work best for her.
“It’s a wonderful experience,” she said. “Based
on how I feel, I get to choose the setting I want.”
This ability to tailor her therapy is why Lisa is finally able to walk
through her house without worrying about her balance. Outdoors, she still
uses a walker, but she has been impressed by the improvements she has
seen to her quality of life.
“The thing that scares me the most is being dependent on other people.
That is why I got the DBS, because I don’t want to be a burden to
people,” she said. “With what they provided me with at Hoag
I feel confident that I am delaying the inevitable for as long as I can.”
Undergoing a procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic was frightening, but
Lisa said the safety protocols and professionalism of the hospital staff
gave her confidence.
“Everyone was so reassuring. Once I saw how careful they were, I
wasn’t worried,” she said.
Lisa said her experience is typical of what she has come to expect at Hoag’s
Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute – compassionate care, clinical
excellence and creative intelligence
“Everyone there, when I go in, they go the extra mile,” she
said. “I see Dr. Thakkar every three months, and he is very caring.
When I need something, he takes care of it. I never worry about not being
able to get a hold of him. I know that with him, I’ve got it covered.”