Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to fight him Parkinson’s disease.
According to a press release from Cleveland Clinic, symphony orchestra director and conductor Rand Laycock, 70, was diagnosed just before his 60th birthday.
“My doctor told me back then [a Parkinson’s diagnosis] There will be progress in helping me with treatment over the next few years, not death sentences,” Lacock said.
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Even after a Medicine RegimenHowever, Lacock’s symptoms continued to progress over the next 11 years.
Randleikock (pictured), the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nearly 11 years ago, just before his 60th birthday. (Cleveland Clinic)
When tremor on his right hand began to increase with severity and frequency, he began exploring other treatments.
“If I’m close to the deadline for something in the orchestra, the tremor starts to really become noticeable,” Lacock told the Cleveland Clinic.
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He also began experiencing dyskinesia, an involuntary movement that could be a side effect of long-term use of certain Parkinson’s disease.
Michal Gostkowski, Do, Do, Neurologist at Cleveland Clinic introduced Laycock as an alternative option Deep brain stimulation (DBS) was called the “brain pacemaker.”
“My doctor told me back then [a Parkinson’s diagnosis] Lacock told the Cleveland Clinic. (Cleveland Clinic)
DBS is a “treatment method that involves implantable devices that deliver current directly to areas of the brain,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The brain contains billions of neurons that communicate using electrical and chemical signals. Some Brain stateThe same sources say it can reduce the activity of these neurons, including Parkinson’s disease.
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Deep brain stimulation applies currents to make these neurons more active.
In May 2024, Lacock received an a Brain implants As the first step in DBS therapy. He then used programmer Erica Hennigs to activate and set up the device. The release is detailed.
“I know that brain surgery can be intimidating, but it’s a life-changing procedure that allows you to become yourself again.”
“When it comes to programming a device, you start by trying different configurations,” says Hennigs. “We’ll then get a closer look at how his symptoms are controlled so we’ll adjust them during our follow-up visit.”
After nearly a year of success, Lacock went on to DBs in more advanced DBS, known as Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation (ADB).
“Traditional DBs provide the same stimulation to the brain 24 hours a day. What makes ADB different is that they can be adapted and fine-tuned in real time.” (Cleveland Clinic)
“Traditional DBS provides the same stimulation in the brain 24 hours a day. What makes ADB different is that it allows you to adapt and fine-tune the stimulation in real time,” says Dr. Michael Gostkowski, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic.
“Tracking specific frequencies in the brain can increase or decrease stimulation as needed to better control symptoms.”
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Lacock was a good candidate for progressive therapy as his symptoms fluctuated throughout the day. In other words, treatments that can be adapted to these variations may be more effective, according to the clinic.
“Since Rand is a music conductor, tweaking with ADB reduces the risk of him experiencing trembling if the medicine disappears midway through a concert or performance,” Hennigs says.
Lacock was a good candidate for progressive therapy as his symptoms fluctuated throughout the day. (Landraecock)
Due to his previous positive experiences with DBS, Laycock jumped at the opportunity to receive the new version.
“It sounded like it would make my life simpler – I didn’t have to worry about adjusting my device settings and medications frequently,” he told the Cleveland Clinic.
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The conductor’s ported devices were able to support new adaptation technologies, so it was just a matter of working with Hennigs to update the settings.
Lacock began receiving ADB in March 2025. Now, his trembling is almost completely gone except at extreme times Stress and anxietyaccording to the release.
Throughout his health journey, Lacock has been supported not only by his care team but also by his family. (Landraecock)
“And my dyskinesia is under quite a bit of control,” he said. “My symptoms are minimal compared to that, and many of them are due to adaptive deep brain stimulation.”
Lacock is now approaching his 47th year as a music conductor, and the release states that he looks forward to spending time with his wife, two children and granddaughter.
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Gostkowski encourages patients with Parkinson’s disease to ask their doctors about DBS or ADB as an option to control and improve symptoms Quality of life.
Lacock said, “I know that brain surgery can be intimidating, but it’s a life-changing procedure that allows you to become yourself again.”
