New From Medtronic

• by SMITTY
• 2009-02-19 05:02:53
• General Posting
• 986 views
• 4 comments

Anther electronic invention from Medtronic. I wish they would prefect their pacemakers and leads before adding to the list of products they have in their stable. Of course I don't have the illness that could be treated by this device, so my thoughts shouldn't count I guess.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patients suffering from obsessive, distressing thoughts have a new treatment option: a pacemaker-like device that relieves anxiety with electrical jolts to the brain.
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Medtronic's Reclaim device as the first implant to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, which causes uncontrollable worries, such as fear of germs or dirt.

Patients suffering from the disorder try to relieve their anxiety with obsessive behavior, such as washing their hands or checking locks repeatedly.

"These are obtrusive thoughts that take control of people's lives to the point that they lose their jobs, can't have relationships and in many cases, can't even leave their homes," said Dr. Hooman Azmi of Hackensack University Medical Center.

While about 2.2 million Americans have the disorder, the new device would only be available to a small group of patients who don't respond to other treatments, such as antidepressant drugs and therapy.