Music conductors in Ohio are using deep brain stimulation to combat Parkinson's disease.
Rand Laycock, 70, is a director and conductor of the symphony orchestra, was diagnosed before his 60th birthday, a press release from the Cleveland Clinic said.
"My doctor told me at the time that (the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease) was not a death penalty and that over the next few years, progress will be made to help my treatment."
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However, even after a series of medications, Laycock's symptoms continue to progress over the next 11 years.
Rand Laycock (pictured) is a symphony orchestra conductor who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease nearly 11 years ago before his 60th birthday. (Cleveland Clinic)
When the tremors of his right hand began to increase severity and frequency, he began to explore other treatments.
"If I had a deadline to appear with the band, the tremor did start pronunciating," Laycock told Cleveland Clinic.
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He also began to experience movement disorders, which are involuntary exercises, which may be a side effect of long-term use of certain Parkinson's drugs.
Michal Gostkowski Do, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic, introduced Laycock to another option for deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is described as a "brain pacemaker."
"My doctor told me at the time that (the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease) was not a death penalty and that over the next few years, progress will be made to help my treatment." (Cleveland Clinic)
According to the Cleveland Clinic, DBS is a "device involving implantation that delivers current directly to the brain region."
There are billions of neurons in the brain that communicate using electrical and chemical signals. Certain brain conditions, including Parkinson's disease, can reduce the activity of these neurons, the same source.
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Deep brain stimulation applies current to make these neurons more active.
In May 2024, Laycock received a brain implant as the first step in DBS treatment. He then activates and sets up the device with programmer Erica Hennigs, which is detailed in this version.
“I know the idea of brain surgery can be daunting, but it’s a life-changing program that can make you your own self again.”
“When it comes to programming devices, we first tried different settings,” Hennigus said. “We then adjusted these surveys during the follow-up because we learned more about how his symptoms were under control.”
After seeing nearly a year of success, Laycock developed into a more advanced form of DBS called adaptive deep brain stimulation or ADB.
“Traditional DBS produces the same stimulation to the brain 24 hours a day. What sets ADB apart is that it adapts and fine-tunes the stimulation in real time.” (Cleveland Clinic)
"Traditional DBS produces the same stimulation to the brain 24 hours a day. What makes ADB unique is that it adapts and fine-tunes the stimulation in real time," said Dr. Michael Gostkowski, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
“By following a certain frequency in the brain, it can increase or decrease stimulation as needed to better control symptoms.”
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According to the clinic, Laycock is a good candidate for advanced treatments because his symptoms fluctuate throughout the day, meaning treatments that can adapt to these fluctuations may be more effective.
"Since Rand is a musical conductor, fine-tuning the ADB reduces his risk of tremors if his medication wears out during concerts or performances," Hennigs said.
Laycock is a good candidate for advanced therapy as his symptoms fluctuate throughout the day. (Rand Laycock)
Thanks to his previous positive experience with DBS, Laycock seized the opportunity to get a new version.
"It sounds like it will make my life easier - don't worry about adjusting the device settings and medications frequently," he told the Cleveland Clinic.
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The implanted devices of the conductor are able to support new adaptive technologies, so working with Hennigs to update the settings is only a problem.
Laycock started receiving ADB in March 2025. Now, except for extreme stress or anxiety, his tremor almost completely disappeared.
Throughout his health journey, Laycock has been supported not only by his care team, but also by his family. (Rand Laycock)
"And my movement disorders are well controlled," he said. "I have fewer symptoms than symptoms, a lot of them due to adaptive deep brain stimulation."
Laycock is now close to 47 years of his music conductor and he looks forward to spending time with his wife, two children and granddaughter, the release said.
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Gostkowski encourages Parkinson’s patients to ask their doctor about DB or ADB as an option to control symptoms and improve quality of life.
"I know the idea of brain surgery can be daunting, but it's a life-changing program that can make you your own self again," Laycock added.