Aster Medcity Kochi becomes first in India to launch “Smart” Adaptive DBS for parkinson’s disease

KOCHI: Aster Medcity announced the official launch of Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation (aDBS) at its Parkinson and Movement Disorders centre. This milestone follows a transformative shift from conventional "fixed" stimulation to a responsive, smart adaptation technology for patients living with advanced Parkinson’s Disease.

Adaptive DBS is a major technological leap that can sense real-time brain signals related to Parkinson’s symptoms and adjust stimulation levels automatically throughout the day and night. Unlike conventional systems that deliver the same current regardless of the patient's activity level, aDBS functions like a "brain thermostat." Within a dosage limit set by an experienced clinician, the system automatically fine-tunes the current—increasing stimulation when symptoms worsen and reducing it when they improve or during sleep.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has long been a well-established treatment for Parkinson’s patients whose symptoms, such as tremors, stiffness, and slowness, are no longer fully controlled by medication. By delivering low-intensity electrical pulses to specific areas deep inside the brain, DBS helps restore movement control and significantly improves quality of life. While over 200,000 patients worldwide have benefited from this standard of care, the technology has traditionally relied on Conventional DBS, which provides a continuous, fixed level of stimulation set by a specialist during hospital visits.

"This highly personalised approach ensures that patients receive the exact amount of therapy they need at any given moment without having to make manual adjustments," said Dr Asha Kishore, Director- Parkinson's & Movement Disorders Centre, Aster Kerala Cluster.

Recent multinational studies have shown that Adaptive DBS offers several clinical advantages over traditional methods. By responding dynamically to the patient’s brain activity, the device can reduce involuntary movements (dyskinesia) and provide longer periods of effective symptom control ("On-time") while using less electrical stimulation overall.