“Electronic drug” regulates nerves to treat Parkinson’s disease

  The recent announcement of the Nobel Prize once again shows that the development of science and technology is changing human life, and the research and development of new technologies and drugs play a major role in protecting human health and preventing and treating diseases. In the research and prevention of Parkinson’s disease, levodopa-based drugs and brain pacemakers are two major discoveries, the former treating the disease by replenishing key neurotransmitters that are lacking in the patient’s body, and the latter regulating neural circuits that are already diseased through precise localization and electrical signals.  Levodopa has been helping humans treat Parkinson’s disease for more than 50 years and its efficacy is well established, but the limitations and problems associated with long-term adverse effects cannot be ignored. Scientists and the general public have been expecting more new drugs to surpass levodopa, but it has always been found that the new drugs do not surpass or replace levodopa. In the past two decades, scientific research and exploration have revealed that Parkinson’s disease can be treated by deep brain electrical stimulation neuromodulation technology, partially overcoming the problems associated with levodopa, and it has been recognized that electrical currents given to deep brain nuclei through implanted electrodes can also become “electronic drugs” to treat Parkinson’s disease.  Scientists continue to explore and find the nuclei that play a key role in the regulation of human movement, locate them precisely through high-tech positioning techniques such as nuclear magnetic technology, and implant carefully designed modulating electrodes to deliver a constant flow of modulating currents to the nuclei to treat tremor, rigidity, slow movement, and other symptoms that plague Parkinson’s disease patients.  Although deep brain electrical stimulation techniques have been met with some skepticism during the exploration process, scientific developments have proven that this has opened a new path to treat Parkinson’s disease. As humans continue to advance and develop neuromodulation techniques, the efficacy of treatment for Parkinson’s disease will continue to improve.  The implantation of a brain pacemaker is the beginning of a new treatment. During the long-term treatment process, the neuromodulation parameters, including voltage, current, frequency, and pulse width, need to be finely adjusted, just as drugs do, and the rational application of “electronic drugs” requires the expertise of a specialist.