An elderly woman in the UK suffering from Parkinson's disease played the clarinet while undergoing brain surgery at London's King's College Hospital.

Denise Bacon, 65, a retired speech and language therapist from Crowborough in East Sussex, underwent Deep Brain Stimulation back in July. During the four-hour operation, she played the clarinet to help manage her symptoms, enabling surgeons to see - and hear - immediate results.

Bacon had been experiencing slowness of movement (bradykinesia) and muscle stiffness (rigidity) resulting from Parkinson's disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2014, affecting her ability to walk, swim, dance and play the clarinet, King's College Hospital said in a press note, which also contain links to videos of the surgery.

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Keyoumars Ashkan MBE, Professor of Neurosurgery, performed Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) - a surgical procedure used on selected patients with treatment-resistant movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease - to implant electrodes in her brain.

The procedure was supported by a team of specialists comprising a neurologist, neuropsychologist, as well as DBS and theatre nurses.

The electrodes were connected to a pulse generator, similar to a pacemaker, to deliver electrical impulses to modify brain activity and reduce Bacon's symptoms.

The results were instantaneous on the operating table. The movement in her fingers improved immediately, allowing her to play the clarinet with much greater ease.

Professor Ashkan said,“Deep Brain Stimulation, where stimulating electrodes are placed into the deep structures of the brain, is a long-established procedure to improve motor symptoms in patients with movement disorders.

“Holes half the size of a five pence piece were made in Denise's skull after a frame with precise coordinates was placed on Denise's head, acting as a sat nav to guide us to the correct positions within the brain to implant the electrode.

“Once the electrodes were in place on the left side of Denise's brain, the current was switched on and an immediate improvement was noted in hand movements on her right side. The same happened on her left side when we implanted electrodes on the right side of her brain.

“As a keen clarinettist, it was suggested Denise bring her clarinet into the operating theatre to see whether the procedure would improve her ability to play, which was one of Denise's main goals for the surgery. 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.”

Bacon is an amateur musician who played clarinet in the East Grinstead Concert Band until she had to stop five years ago due to her Parkinson's symptoms. She was given a local anaesthetic to numb her scalp and skull (the brain itself has no pain receptors) but remained awake during the procedure so her symptoms could be monitored throughout.

She said,“I remember my right hand being able to move with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, and this in turn improved my ability to play the clarinet, which I was delighted with.

“I'm already experiencing improvements in my ability to walk, and I'm keen to get back in the swimming pool, and on the dance floor to see if my abilities have improved there.”

Bacon opted for the rechargeable type of pulse generator battery that is implanted in her chest, which can last up to 20 years before it requires replacing, delivering a continuous electrical current to her brain. The innovative generator will monitor her brain activity and can help automatically adjust the stimulation when needed.

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