INTRODUCTION

When my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease our lives changed completely - and he is only one of 120,000 sufferers in Britain (among the over 65s the rate is one person in a hundred). Parkinson's does not usually kill its victims, but it kills their way of life.

That is, until now. Dramatic changes have been taking place in the treatment of Parkinson's with the advent of a new treatment known as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). The key to the success of this treatment is that while it instantly eliminates symptoms that were previously hard to treat, such as persistent tremor, rigidity and violent spasms, it is also reversible - and at the touch of a switch.

This reversibility means that if a cure is ever found for this disease, the apparatus can be dismantled and removed to make way for that cure. DBS offers the best means yet of relieving the terrible symptoms of Parkinson's.

Since I set up The Parkinson's Appeal to fund this operation at the Institute of Neurology in University College London, that centre has become a world leader in DBS. It has one of the most sophisticated imaging systems in the world with which to scan the structure of the brain - an essential precursor of this kind of surgery. And we have already raised 3.2 million pounds, funds that have enabled us to establish the first Chair of Functional Neurosurgery in Europe, The Edmond J Safra Chair. For this post we have retained the services of the internationally renowned neurosurgeon, Professor Marwan Hariz, who heads a dedicated team. He has already reduced the time required to complete the operation from 11 to13 hours, to 3 to 4 hours, which makes the whole experience infinitely less traumatic for patients.

But the time has now come for another bold step forward. In the course of its work on Parkinson's Disease, Professor Hariz's team has made an important discovery: brain stimulation can also be applied more widely, to treat other common, chronic disorders of the motor system. Some of these disorders are already responding to treatment.

The symptoms of dystonia, horrible involuntary muscle spasms that twist the body, are being suppressed with DBS. Some of the most refractory cases of epilepsy - those that cannot be treated with drugs - are being successfully treated. So are depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (psychiatric diseases that can also affect the motor system, in the form of tics, repetitive movements or apathy, for instance). The great surprise to date has been that treating the motor system in this way can, in turn, alleviate psychological symptoms.

Part of the reason all this has been discovered so quickly is the impetus that The Parkinson's Appeal has given to The Functional Neurosurgery Unit. But much more research is needed. Doctors don't yet understand why DBS has these effects on the motor system, and until they do, they won't be able to predict which patients will respond to the procedure and which will not - a problem that arose with Parkinson's Disease and has now been solved. Parkinson's patients who will benefit from the surgery are now easily identifiable, thanks in part to the insights Professor Hariz and his team have provided.

I do hope you will feel able to help our urgent need to raise the final £300,000 to secure the units future under the leadership of Professor Hariz. This is vital to maintain the momentum of the research program into understanding Deep Brain Stimulation and its application for other chronic conditions. As well as the training of neurosurgeons and neurologists in the technique to work in centres across the UK so many more people can benefit from the treatment.

For the many sufferers of these distressing conditions your support would be a dream come true. It is also my dream.

Let me finish with the words of one patient who received DBS treatment: "This operation has given me back my self-esteem, human dignity and, quite frankly, my life." Please help us to continue this work.

Lyn Rothman
Chairman and Founder