Denise Bacon, a 65-year-old woman living with Parkinson’s disease, amazed surgeons by playing her clarinet during a complex four-hour brain operation at King’s College Hospital in London, experiencing immediate enhancement in her finger coordination.
As reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Bacon, a former speech and language therapist from Crowborough, East Sussex, underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS). This advanced technique involves implanting electrodes into specific brain regions to alleviate symptoms in neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
Since her diagnosis in 2014, Parkinson’s had progressively impaired her ability to engage in activities she loved, including walking, swimming, dancing, and playing the clarinet-a hobby she passionately pursued as part of the East Grinstead Concert Band until she ceased five years prior.
Throughout the operation, neurosurgeon Professor Keyoumars Ashkan conducted the intricate procedure while Bacon remained conscious under local anesthesia. Remarkably, as soon as the electrical impulses were activated, her right hand’s dexterity returned, enabling her to perform on the clarinet with fluidity.
“I distinctly recall my right hand moving with far greater ease once the stimulation started, which directly enhanced my clarinet playing. It was truly uplifting. I’m already noticing progress in my walking and am eager to resume swimming and dancing,” Bacon shared.
Professor Ashkan detailed that the surgery required drilling minuscule openings-each about half the diameter of a five pence coin-into her skull. A specialized frame, functioning like a GPS system, guided the precise placement of the electrodes.
“Witnessing the immediate restoration of her hand function and musical ability upon brain stimulation was incredibly rewarding,” he commented.
