Parkinson’s Disease sufferers could soon undergo brain treatment under anaesthesia for first time

Australian scientists have discovered a unique brain signal that has improved the outcomes of brain treatment for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Researchers from the Bionics Institute in Melbourne revealed a three-year trial on 19 patients uncovered a brain signal that assisted surgeons during deep brain simulation therapy. 

During the procedure, Parkinson’s sufferers have electrodes embedded into specific locations in the brain while awake to treat the condition. 

With the discovery of this new brain signal, patients may be able to undergo the process while under general anaesthesia – making surgery more accurate and less daunting.

“We’ve found a signal that acts like a lighthouse in the brain that surgeons can pick up, look at and get the electrodes in the right spot,” Professor Hugh McDermott from the Bionics Institute told 9NEWS.

“Hopefully we can perform this operation with patients while asleep, not awake.”

The institute will now work with manufacturers worldwide to finalise a design for a device to make the new form of surgery common in the treatment of the disease. 

It is expected that people looking to access the procedure while under anaesthesia could opt in within years.