Kochi, Aug 18 : Aster Medcity and India Medtronic on Wednesday announced their partnership to build a comprehensive and advanced Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) program for Parkinson's patients in India. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder that in its advanced stages causes severe disability due to the increasing severity of movement-related problems, and balance as well as cognitive function symptoms. Overall, movement disorders constitute 3-8 percent of neurological disorders in India with a crude prevalence rate (CPR) varying from 31 to 45/per 100,000 above 60 years of age. In 2016, it was estimated that 6.1 million people worldwide had Parkinson's disease. The prevalence in India was estimated to be 10 per cent of the global burden, that is, 5.8 lakhs. DBS is a therapy in which a small pacemaker-like device sends electrical signals through very thin wires, known as aleads', to a targeted area in the brain related to the symptoms. The introduction of the latest version of the Microelectrode recording system for DBS surgeries, NeuroNav MER system (Alpha Omega) from Medtronic at Aster Medcity Kochi makes it the first center in South Asia to introduce this technology, the hospital said in a statement. "DBS is superior to medical treatment in improving the quality of life and in reducing the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease if performed before the disease progresses to a very advanced stage. We are thrilled to collaborate with Medtronic, as partnerships like this, can introduce the most advanced technologies such as the NeuroNav MER system in DBS procedures. It will help the movement disorder specialists to provide accurate information to the neurosurgeon on the accuracy of targeting during DBS procedure," said Dr. Asha Kishore, Senior Neurologist and Movement Disorder Specialist, Parkinson and Movement Disorder Centre at Aster Medcity. "The aim of the partnership with Aster is to take Parkinson's management to the next level by empowering surgeons to make faster and more accurate treatment decisions using DBS therapy. Clinicians can deliver truly data-driven, personalised therapy that fits the needs of today's patients. With the advanced NeuroNav MER systems, target localisation, which used to take 40 to 45 minutes can now be done in 10 to 11 minutes. It serves as evidence of our dedication to the Medtronic Mission and Parkinson's patients in India," said Madan Krishnan, Vice President & Managing Director, Medtronic India. "Through our partnership with Medtronic, we are able to provide the latest advancements in Parkinson's management.A The technology will enhance the quality of patients' lives and further improve clinical outcomes. We are delighted to introduce and offer such advanced healthcare technologies and therapies to patients in Kerala and the rest of India," said Farhan Yasin, Regional Director, Aster Hospitals -- Kerala & Oman. Microelectrode recording (MER) has been considered the gold standard in ensuring accuracy for the deep brain stimulation procedure. The NeuroNav MER system, developed by Israel-based MedTech company Alpha Omega Engineering, is a compact, field-proven MER system, used clinically in the localisation of surgical targets for the implantation of DBS electrodes for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. NeuroNav allows safe, simple, and accurate insertion of electrodes into the brain while recording neural activity and stimulating neural tissue. /IANS