Medtronic Shows Off First US Implants Research on Novel Deep Brain Stimulation System

Medtronic, Inc. MDT today announced the first U.S. implants of a novel deep brain stimulation (DBS) system in research that may one day transform the treatment of devastating neurological and psychological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Activa^® PC+S DBS system delivers Medtronic DBS therapy while simultaneously sensing and recording electrical signals in key areas of the brain, using sensing technology and an adjustable stimulation algorithm. This system, which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for commercial use in the United States and is available to select physicians for investigational use only, may offer researchers revolutionary insights into how neurological conditions develop and progress, as well as the brain's specific responses to Medtronic DBS therapy. Additionally, the system may provide future possibilities for creating personalized DBS therapy across a range of conditions. The first two implants of the Activa PC+S DBS system in the U.S. took place at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and the UC San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Research teams led by neurologist Helen Bronte-Stewart, M.D., director of the Stanford Movement Disorders Center and professor of neurology and neurological sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and neurosurgeon Philip Starr, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurological surgery and surgical director of UCSF's Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, are the first in the U.S. to use the Activa PC+S system. These teams will analyze the data with the goal of understanding how the brain responds to DBS therapy. At Stanford, the system was implanted by neurosurgeon Jaimie Henderson, M.D., associate professor of neurosurgery at the Stanford School of Medicine. At UCSF, the system was implanted by Dr. Starr, with patient recruitment and preoperative evaluation led by Jill Ostrem, M.D.,professor of neurology and medical director of UCSF's Bachmann-Strauss Center, and Marta San Luciano, M.D., assistant professor of neurology.