Platform Offers Physicians Advanced Technology to Treat Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease 

Dr. Jerrold Vitek, MD, PhD, Head of the Neurology Department and the Director of the Neuromodulation Research Program at the University of Minnesota was the coordinating principal investigator for the INTREPID study which evaluated the safety of Boston Scientific’s Vercise DBS system in 292 patients at 23 sites and also evaluated its effectiveness. FDA approval was based on the INTREPID study.

“The Vercise DBS System changes the landscape of what physicians can do to help improve the quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Vitek, coordinating principal investigator for the INTREPID study. “This system provides an ability to sculpt the current field in the DBS target using novel technology that offers flexibility in programming. This flexibility allows us to target different regions of the subthalamic nucleus, which we believe will improve outcomes while reducing side effects.”

The first commercial implant in the U.S. with the Vercise System took place on Saturday, December 16, at the University of Minnesota Medical Center by University of Minnesota Medical School faculty physicians including Dr. Vitek, Michael C. Park, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Neurosurgery and Lauren E. Schrock, MD, MnDrive neuromodulation faculty scholar, Department of Neurology.

The Vercise System is designed to specifically stimulate auditory nerves to produce a sense of hearing. The system’s features work together to address common challenges in DBS therapy.