UF Researchers Earn Grant to Test New Form of DBS to Treat Essential Tremor

University of Florida neuroscientists will test the effectiveness of a new motion-activated type of deep brain stimulation (DBS) aimed at improving treatment for patients with severe essential tremor, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary shaking and usually worsens over time.

Current DBS therapies for patients with severe essential tremor are continuous, or always-on, which can sometimes lead to undesirable side effects, including stuttering and problems with walking and balance. Under a new $3.9 million NIH grant, co-principal investigators Karim Oweiss, Ph.D., and Kelly Foote, M.D., will test responsive deep brain stimulation, or R-DBS, in a Phase I clinical trial involving approximately 10 patients over the next five years. R-DBS only turns on when it detects movements associated with essential tremor.

Learn more about UF Researchers Earn Grant to Test New Form of DBS to Treat Essential Tremor.