Head to Head: Brain implants are better for Parkinson’s patients

People with Parkinson’s disease who get electrodes surgically implanted in their brains regain some muscle control and are better able to handle daily activities than patients given medication only, researchers in Germany find.

Scientists first developed the operation, called deep-brain stimulation, in the 1990s. Surgeons implant a small electrode in a brain area that normally serves as a relay station for nerve signals.