Hunan's first deep brain stimulation remote control center has been established, allowing Parkinson's patients to receive remote medical treatment at home.

People's Daily Online, Changsha, December 4th: Brain pacemaker implants can effectively improve tremors, stiffness, and motor function in Parkinson's patients. However, adjusting parameters requires patients to make multiple trips to the hospital, which is laborious and time-consuming. With the development of remote programmable control technology, patients can remotely control the device online without having to visit the hospital, without leaving their homes, and adjust the device to the optimal setting.

On December 4, Hunan's first deep brain stimulation remote control center was established in Hunan Brain Hospital (Hunan Second People's Hospital). Through a time-travel device that matches the brain pacemaker, the time-travel device is connected to the TV in the patient's home. The TV display screen of the remote control center is then connected to the TV display screen in the patient's home via video, and the voltage, frequency, pulse width and other parameters of the patient's brain pacemaker can be adjusted.

Mr. Yin, a 62-year-old from Shaoyang, began experiencing tremors in his hands and feet eight years ago and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "At first, the medication was effective, but as time went on and the dosage increased, the effect became less and less effective. Eventually, my entire body felt stiff," Mr. Yin explained. In June 2018, Mr. Yin underwent brain pacemaker implantation surgery with funding from the Parkinson's Disease Care Project. The pacemaker has helped control his symptoms significantly.

"However, after the pacemaker is implanted, a professional physician needs to tailor stimulation parameters, such as voltage, frequency, and pulse width, to the patient's specific condition to achieve the desired therapeutic effect," said Director Huang Hongxing. Due to the unique nature of Parkinson's disease, these procedures require the patient's family to provide ongoing care, which is costly and, especially for patients living in remote areas, imposes a significant financial and emotional burden.

On the morning of December 4, Liu Bo, deputy chief physician of neurosurgery at Hunan Brain Hospital, had a video communication with Mr. Yin at home on the display screen diagnosis and treatment interface of the remote control center, observed his body's reaction, and adjusted the brain pacemaker. The debugging was completed in just 10 minutes.

"As a key component of the Healthy China strategy, hospitals must leverage their advantages in information, talent, and resources in the health sector to continuously improve services. By integrating the internet, the entire medical process can be integrated through online and offline collaboration, improving efficiency and patient experience, thereby providing better patient service." Hu Zhaohui, Vice President of Hunan Brain Hospital, stated that the hospital annually organizes various activities, including expert lectures, patient exchanges, and on-site free clinics, to promote knowledge about Parkinson's disease prevention and treatment. The hospital also spearheaded the establishment of the Hunan Epilepsy and Parkinson's Disease Alliance and the Hunan Parkinson's Disease Prevention and Care Association, providing Parkinson's patients with comprehensive medical services, including timely, effective, and safe health consultations, preventive interventions, diagnosis and treatment, and rehabilitation.

According to statistics, the Parkinson's disease incidence rate among people over 65 is approximately 1.7%, making Parkinson's disease a major killer among middle-aged and elderly people. Huang Hongxing, director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital, explained that the pacemaker implantation technique currently used at the hospital, also known as deep brain stimulation, involves implanting electrodes in specific brain nuclei and delivering electrical stimulation to suppress Parkinson's disease symptoms such as tremors and rigidity, thereby improving patients' quality of life. This technique is currently the most advanced neuromodulation technology internationally. To date, the hospital has performed over 300 pacemaker surgeries.

This article is reproduced from: People's Daily