UCSF develops aDBS pacemaker to improve Parkinson's gait, reduce falls
Scientists at UCSF have built a new kind of brain pacemaker, called adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS), to help people with Parkinson's disease walk better.
Unlike older systems that send fixed signals, this one adjusts in real time based on your brain's activity while you walk.
Early tests showed it helped people walk more smoothly and reduced their chances of falling.
UCSF study finds patients prefer aDBS
Patients actually preferred the new system over the old therapy, and kept using it for over a year after the study ended, which says a lot about its impact on daily life.
The research also found that each person's brain signals are unique, so treatments need to be personalized.
Next up, the team wants to automate how they find these key signals and make the tech available on devices people can actually get.
As Dr. Doris D. Wang from UCSF put it, this could open doors for treating other symptoms and even different brain conditions down the line.