Parkinson’s Patient Plays Clarinet During Brain Surgery, Sees Instant Improvement

A woman with Parkinson’s disease recently amazed doctors by playing the clarinet during her own brain surgery — and experiencing immediate improvements in her movement. Denise Bacon, 65, from Crowborough in East Sussex, underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) at King’s College Hospital in London to help manage her Parkinson’s symptoms. Diagnosed in 2014, the retired speech and language therapist had seen her ability to walk, swim, dance, and play music decline over the years. She had even stopped playing clarinet in her local concert band five years ago. During the four-hour procedure, Ms Bacon stayed awake while Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, a neurosurgeon, implanted electrodes in her brain. DBS involves sending small electrical currents to targeted areas to help relieve motor symptoms in some patients with Parkinson’s. Ms Bacon was given a local anaesthetic to numb her scalp and skull. Once the stimulation was switched on, she noticed instant improvements in her finger movements, allowing her to pick up her clarinet and play with ease. “I remember my right hand being able to move with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, which improved my ability to play the clarinet — I was delighted,” she said. She added that she was already noticing improvements in walking and was eager to return to swimming and dancing to see if those skills had also improved. Professor Ashkan explained the precision of the surgery: tiny holes, half the size of a five-pence piece, were made in her skull. A frame with exact coordinates acted like a “sat nav” to guide the electrode implants to the correct spots. “We were delighted to see an instant improvement in her hand movements, and therefore her ability to play, once stimulation was delivered to the brain,” he said. This remarkable case highlights not only the potential of DBS to restore motor function in Parkinson’s patients, but also the power of combining cutting-edge medicine with personal passions — in Denise’s case, her love of music. Photo: BBC