LONDON — In a groundbreaking medical moment, 65-year-old Denise Bacon from East Sussex played her clarinet during a deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery on October 20, 2025, at King's College Hospital, London. The procedure not only allowed her to perform mid-surgery but also provided immediate relief from Parkinson's disease symptoms, offering new insights into DBS's effectiveness.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014, Bacon's condition progressively hindered her ability to play the clarinet, a passion she had to set aside five years ago due to tremors and muscle stiffness.
During the four-hour DBS surgery, Bacon was asked to play her instrument while surgeons monitored her brain's response to electrical stimulation. This real-time feedback enabled the medical team to fine-tune the stimulation parameters, optimizing the treatment for her specific needs.
What It Is:
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement control. It develops when nerve cells in the brain become damaged or die, leading to a decrease in dopamine—a chemical essential for smooth, coordinated muscle movements.
Symptoms:
Motor symptoms often include tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement (bradykinesia), and difficulty with balance and posture. Non-motor symptoms can include sleep disturbances, depression, cognitive changes, and problems with the autonomic nervous system.
Causes:
The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease remains unknown, but it is believed to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Treatment:
There is currently no cure, but treatments can help manage symptoms. Medications like levodopa help replenish dopamine, and in advanced cases, surgical options such as deep brain stimulation may be considered to improve motor function. 1
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a surgical intervention that involves implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain to deliver controlled electrical pulses. These pulses modulate abnormal neural activity, offering relief from symptoms associated with various neurological and psychiatric disorders. 2
As the electrodes were activated on the left side of her brain, Bacon's right hand, which had been previously unresponsive, began to move more freely. The same improvement was observed on her left side when stimulation was applied to the right hemisphere.
These immediate changes provided the surgical team with direct evidence of the procedure's success and the potential for DBS to alleviate motor symptoms in Parkinson's patients.
1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Parkinson's Disease." Last modified March 5, 2025. Accessed October 21, 2025. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/parkinsons-disease.
2. Cleveland Clinic. "Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): What It Is, Purpose & Procedure." Last modified May 23, 2022. Accessed October 21, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21088-deep-brain-stimulation.
(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)
