‘I can go in restaurants, which I was too nervous to go to … I got my life back,’ George Martin says
Aug 10, 2022
Almost 16 years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, George Martin says he has his life back — thanks to a first-of-its-kind technology.
The 68-year-old lives in Mount Pearl, N.L., but the NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic allows his doctors to treat him remotely from Toronto.
It’s reduced the tremors caused by his condition and allowed him to live his life again, Martin told CBC Toronto.
“I can drive again, which I couldn’t do. I can go in restaurants, which I was too nervous to go to, too afraid of falling down. I can dance again,” Martin said. “I got my life back.”
Martin underwent surgery last November to begin deep brain stimulation (DBS). The treatment relies on a device, described as a pacemaker for the brain, that runs electrodes to the parts of the brain that causes Martin’s tremors. DBS isn’t new, but before the approval of the NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic in Canada, patients would need to make in-person appointments with their doctor to make substantial adjustments to the device.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/remote-deep-brain-stimulation-parkinsons-1.6546207