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Deep Brain Stimulation Puts Pulaski County Man Back in Control

June 15, 2018 | June 15, 2018 | Jim Kimbrough of Scott hadn’t been able to drink a cup of coffee without spilling it in three years.

That was until tiny electrodes were placed in areas of his brain that control movement in a procedure called deep brain stimulation.

The electrodes stimulate the area, and slow down the tremors, said Rohit Dhall, M.D., associate professor of neurology in the UAMS College of Medicine and director of Neurodegenerative Disorders at UAMS.

Since opening the UAMS Tremor Clinic nearly two years ago, Dhall said, hundreds of patients have been treated. Many of them have been diagnosed with a nervous system disorder known as essential tremor (ET).

Essential tremor is under-recognized, Dhall says, often because many patients don’t seek professional help or they learn to live with it. It is three times more common than Parkinson’s disease. But unlike Parkinson’s, tremors in ET patients worsen when they are using their hands.

“It used to be called benign essential tremor,” Dhall said. “But as Jim can tell you, it’s often not benign. It can be very disabling for people.”

Kimbrough, 75, was referred to UAMS when his tremors became disabling.

“I was tired of living,” Kimbrough said. “I wanted to leave here.”

Kimbrough said everyday tasks had become a constant source of frustration.

“I couldn’t get a key in a keyhole. I couldn’t pour or drink a cup of coffee without it spilling all over me. I couldn’t button a shirt or put toothpaste on a toothbrush.”

Kimbrough said his tremors became so bad, he would drink three glasses of bourbon and coke regularly just so that he could write legibly and function. A few weeks before his surgery, he’d tried cooking pancakes.

“It looked like a 4-year-old had been rummaging through the kitchen by the time I got through,” he said.

Kimbrough was determined to be as independent as possible, saying he didn’t want to burden his children. Kimbrough’s wife had passed away and he’d been living alone for the past few years. His medications helped for a while. But in late 2017, five years after his essential tremor diagnosis, Kimbrough and his doctor decided it was time for a surgery called deep brain stimulation.

“It’s like a pacemaker for the brain,” Dhall said. “Neurosurgeon, Dr. Erika Peterson places small electrodes into the areas of the brain that control movement. The patient is awake during the surgery.”

“Wide awake,” Kimbrough said.

“It can be a little scary for patients at first. But we do that because it’s the best way we can reliably test if we’ve hit the right target. It also allows us to ensure there won’t be major side effects from the electrodes as the patient comes out of surgery,” Dhall said.

Kimbrough says any nervousness he had regarding surgery all but disappeared on the day of the operation, Jan. 22.

“I was a little apprehensive,” he said. “I couldn’t understand how they would drill into my head without hurting me. Dr. Petersen was very calming. She’d asked me what kind of music I liked to listen to. I told her I like oldies but goldies.”

A playlist just for Kimbrough was playing in the operating room when he was rolled in.

“She talked me through the whole procedure,” Kimbrough said through tears. “When I got back to recovery, I asked for a cup of coffee. It was the first cup of coffee I was able to drink without spilling in three years.”

While there is often a genetic component associated with essential tremor, Dhall says 40 percent of the time there is no family history. Most people begin notice worsening tremors in their late 40s or early 50s.

“Not every patient will need surgery,” Dhall said. “There are first-line medications that can reduce tremors and for some people, a lifestyle change can help them maintain control.”

“To me, this is a miracle,” Kimbrough said. “I have confidence I can live alone and take care of myself. It’s a true blessing from God.”