Has anyone had deep brain stimulation (DBS) for severe tremors after a traumatic brain injury?
My dad suffered a gunshot wound to the head a few years ago and somehow survived. He was left with permanent neurological issues, including hearing loss, numbness in half of his tongue, and severe shaking in his hands. His hands shake uncontrollably and it significantly affects his everyday life.
His doctors are now recommending deep brain stimulation (DBS) to try to control the tremors. From what I understand, they would implant electrodes into a specific area of his brain and connect them to a stimulator implanted under the skin.
Most of what I can find about DBS is related to Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor, so I’m having a harder time finding people who have gone through it specifically for post-traumatic tremor after a brain injury.
Has anyone here had DBS for tremors caused by a traumatic brain injury, gunshot injury, stroke, or other structural brain damage?
If so:
How severe were your tremors beforehand?
How much did DBS actually reduce them?
Did it improve your ability to use your hands normally?
Did you experience problems with speech, balance, memory, sensation, or anything else afterward?
How difficult was the surgery and recovery?
Did you have neurological deficits before surgery, and did DBS affect any of them?
How long did it take to get the programming/settings right?
Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people with an injury similar to his because I realize his situation is very different from someone receiving DBS for Parkinson’s or typical essential tremor.
We’re trying to understand the realistic benefits versus risks before he makes such a major decision. Any firsthand experiences would be really appreciated.