Surgeons may have found a way to provide long term relief for patients diagnosed with dystonia, a movement disorder that can cause uncontrollable — and even painful — muscle contractions.

As a movement disorders specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Dr. Okeanis Vaou says she sees many patients with the disorder.

Now, doctors have implanted a new, 15-year “super” battery in a deep stimulation device.

“The surgeon will drill a very small hole, and they will be passing an electrode, a very thin electrode, down deep into the brain,” Vaou said. 

The device records and transmits real-time information.

“The technology that we were one of the first ones to use is the recharging battery of this sensing device,” Vaou said. “We can now use a higher stimulation without worrying that the battery is going to drain.”

The device was used on one of Vaou’s patients.

“About 80% of her life has improved,” Vaou said. “She can now eat, she can look up. People can look into her eyes, and that was not the case before."  

This powerful new battery means 15 years between surgeries, rather than the current three to five years, and that is a huge benefit for the patient.

About a quarter of a million people in the U.S. have dystonia, but many struggle to get an exact diagnosis. 

The National Institute of Health recommends seeing a neurologist if you have unexplained movement problems.  

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