Parkinson’s disease breakthrough? Surgeons stop tremors in patient

Footage shows the incredible moment surgeons ‘burned’ a part of a Parkinson’s sufferer’s brain, instantly stopping her debilitating tremors.

Grandmother-of-four Jyoti, 67, whose family thought her violent shakes were caused by an invading evil spirit, suffered from severe convulsions in her arms and legs for seven years.

Her symptoms were so extreme she was barely able to sleep.

On February 13, brain surgeons at Jain Hospital, in Bengaluru, India, cut into Jyoti’s brain while she was fully awake, destroying a pathway that caused the involuntary movements.

An incredible clip shows Jyoti’s outstretched arm shaking violently before instantly calming after surgeons made the incision.

Nearly four weeks on, Jyoti’s neurosurgeon Dr Sharan Srinivasan says she is still symptom free.

‘We thought my mother had some evil soul in her’

Jyoti’s son Ravi, 32, said: ‘When we first saw our mother’s left leg and shoulder shaking we thought that my mother had some evil soul in her body.

‘But during the days which followed, we learned that she was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

‘Thanks to Dr Sharan who operated, my mother is improving day by day.’

Dr Srinivasan added: ‘Tremor-predominant Parkinson’s Disease affects one side of [the] body and does not progress to the other side, for years sometimes.

‘These tremors do not respond very well to medicines so to get the precise “spot” during surgery is “critical” to get near perfect results.

‘Precision is the key operational word when doing “circuit-burning” surgeries inside the brain, especially in such cases where the circuits are 8-9 centimeters deep inside.

‘A small wrong move or location can cause a major stroke.’

Before the procedure, Jyoti’s left arm can be seen convulsing uncontrollably

New hope for a Parkinson disease cure 

This comes after research released last month provided fresh hope for a Parkinson’s disease cure.

Scientists have discovered excessive calcium levels in the brain may be behind the condition that has previously left experts baffled.

Although the mineral plays a vital role in linking nerve endings with a protein, known as alpha-synuclein, which is critical for brain cell communication, excessive levels can trigger nerve cell death, a study found.

Study author Dr Amberley Stephens from Cambridge University, said: ‘There’s a fine balance of calcium and alpha-synuclein in the cell, and when there is too much of one or the other, the balance is tipped and aggregation begins, leading to Parkinson’s disease.’

Parkinson’s disease is caused by these proteins folding into the wrong shape and sticking together to form filament-like structures, however, it was previously unclear why this occurs.

The researchers hope their findings could lead to the development of new treatments, such as calcium blockers, to combat the incurable condition.

They add eating calcium-rich foods, such as cheese, is not linked to the disorder.

Senior author Dr Gabriele Kaminski Schierle said: ‘The study relates to the control of calcium levels which will be the same in any human being independent of its dietary intake.’

Around one in every 350 adults in the UK suffers from Parkinson’s disease.