Breakthrough treatment for Parkinson’s disease finally available in Australia

A room full of doctors fell silent as a small device was switched on, marking a major medical milestone.

7NEWS cameras were inside the clinic to witness the moment Walter Grkovic became the first patient in Australia to receive adaptive deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease.

“It’s great, I’m making history,” he laughed.

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Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating neurological condition that affects movement, causing tremors, stiffness and freezing episodes that can leave patients unable to move.

About 50 Australians are diagnosed every day and more than 150,000 people nationwide live with the condition.

Doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital say the new therapy could transform how symptoms are managed.

While deep brain stimulation has existed for years, this new version is designed to automatically respond to a patient’s brain activity.

‘We implant electrodes into a patient’s brain’

St Vincent’s neurologist Dr Joel Maamery explained the system works by implanting electrodes in a specific part of the brain that controls movement.

The electrodes are connected to a battery device implanted in the chest, similar to a heart pacemaker.

Small electrical pulses are delivered through tiny contacts at the tip of the electrode, altering the brain activity responsible for symptoms.

Unlike traditional systems that deliver constant stimulation, the adaptive version continuously reads brain signals and adjusts the stimulation automatically.

Electrodes are implanted into a patient’s brain to send small electrical pulses that alter the brain activity responsible for symptoms. Credit: 7NEWSThe electrodes are connected to a battery device implanted in the chest, similar to a heart pacemaker. Credit: 7NEWS

“I think of it as the next generation of brain stimulation,” Maamery said.

“Adaptive stimulation allows us to sense the abnormal signals within the brain and the device actually increases its own output in real time to provide therapy for that patient at that time.”

He says the technology represents a significant advance.

“It’s a real breakthrough,” he told 7NEWS exclusively.

“It’s been available in the US and Europe for the last 12 months and we’ve recently had approval to use it in our patients in Australia.

“It really is a wonderful step and a new option for treatment for people who struggle with this condition for such a long time.”

‘It was agony’

The treatment is not a cure, but doctors hope it will smooth out the daily fluctuations many patients experience when medication wears off.

For Grkovic, a professional actor, those fluctuations once made everyday life extremely difficult.

Just six months ago, he was struggling to move, his muscles froze. He could barely walk and relied heavily on medication.

“I had this dystonia in my feet where it would all cramp and curl,” he said.

“It was agony.

“I had this debilitating anxiety that was all through my body that was incredibly painful.

“I had these periods of freezing when I was stuck on the floor and I just couldn’t move.

“There was definitely a lot of fear around how am I going to survive or get through the day basically.”

Grkovic was diagnosed about 10 years ago after noticing tremors while performing on stage.

“The first five years it was manageable because the medication seemed to control the symptoms,” he said. “And then five years ago, all the symptoms seemed to come on all at once really badly.”

Walter Grkovic has become the first patient in Australia to receive adaptive deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease. Credit: 7NEWSThe adaptive system continuously reads brain signals and adjusts the stimulation automatically. Credit: 7NEWS

Deep brain stimulation surgery earlier this year already helped his daily life. He can now walk unassisted and has far fewer periods where his symptoms take over.

The adaptive upgrade could take that progress even further.

“The good thing about the new technology is because it can detect when I need more stimulation, it’ll self-regulate,” Grkovic said.

“It will iron out those off periods that I might be having when the medication runs out and make me feel just on all the time.”

For now, doctors say the effects will take time to assess as the device learns his brain signals.

“This really is the next step along the journey as we learn more about the brain and what treatments we can provide for our patients,” Maamery said.

Researchers in America are also exploring whether similar technology could one day help treat other neurological conditions including epilepsy and depression.

“This isn’t the end of the road, this is part of the journey or the next step along the journey as we learn more about the brain, how it functions and what treatments we can provide for our patients across a range of different conditions to give them optimal symptom relief,” Maamery said.

For Grkovic, the future suddenly looks far brighter.

The former performer, once a familiar face on Australian television with credits including Home and Away and iconic advertisements, hopes he may even return to the screen soon.

“Hopefully if all goes well and if I’m up to it go back to performing again which would be really good,” he said.