New hope for Parkinson’s patients
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. Image: JPStrickler/iStockphoto New research developed by The University of Queensland is set to change the future treatment of speech problems associated with stroke and Parkinson's disease.The new treatment is promising news for people with speech and language disorders that result from diseases within the nervous system.Professor Bruce Murdoch of the Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders Research within UQ's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences said preliminary trials of the new treatment were positive in the effective treatment of these speech and language disorders.The research has found a new technology, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), can be used to stimulate the brain with a series of magnetic pulses delivered by a stimulating coil held over selected areas of the head.Professor Murdoch said TMS featured a coil, shaped like a figure eight, that was held...