Parkinson’s Patient Plays Clarinet During Brain Surgery, Demonstrating Immediate Improvement
London, UK – In a remarkable display of medical precision and patient resilience, a 65-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease played the clarinet during her own brain surgery, providing doctors with real-time feedback on the procedure’s success. The surgery, performed at King’s College Hospital in London, offered immediate relief from symptoms for Denise Bacon, a retired speech and language therapist from Crowborough, East Sussex.
Bacon underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) – a surgical procedure involving the implantation of electrodes in the brain – to combat the slowness of movement, rigidity, and muscle stiffness she’d experienced since her diagnosis in 2014. The four-hour operation was conducted while Bacon was awake, allowing surgeons to monitor the effects of electrical stimulation as it was applied.
“I remember my right hand being able to move with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, and this in turn improved my ability to play the clarinet, which I was delighted with,” Bacon saeid. She had previously been forced to give up playing with the East Grinstead Concert Band five years ago due to her worsening condition.
Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, the neurosurgeon who led the procedure, explained the meticulous process. “Holes half the size of a five pence piece were made in Denise’s skull…acting as a sat nav to guide us to the correct positions within the brain to implant the electrode.” He noted the immediate positive impact: “once the electrodes were in place…the current was switched on and an immediate improvement was noted in hand movements.”
DBS is a recognized treatment for movement disorders like Parkinson’s, and this case highlights its potential to significantly improve quality of life. Bacon is already reporting improvements in her walking and is eager to return to swimming and dancing.
“I’m already experiencing improvements in my ability to walk, and I’m keen to get back in the swimming pool, and on the dance floor to see if my abilities have improved there,” she stated.
