The lives of Parkinson's disease patients in the UAE are being transformed by a treatment that manipulates a part of the brain involved in motor function.
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that is estimated to affect about 10 million people around the world.
Sufferers typically experience a tremor, have rigid limbs or balance and speech problems.
Deep brain stimulation works by implanting electrodes into a patient's brain that deliver impulses to relieve their symptoms. The electrodes are controlled by a pacemaker-type device in a patient's chest.
I'm back at work and really feel like I have my life back
James, an American living in the Emirates, suffers from early onset Parkinson's.
He began receiving treatment at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi after the effectiveness of his medication started to wear off.
He had the condition diagnosed at the age of 42, significantly earlier than the global average of 56, he did not present with tremors, which are often an early sign of the condition.
Instead, he was stiff, slow and found it difficult to walk.
“I would begin to seize up and find myself unable to move while I waited for my medication to take effect," he said.
He was put on medication to manage the condition, but over time he had to take more of it each day to achieve the same effect.
“I remember it got to the point where I stopped eating so that food in my stomach wouldn’t interfere with the absorption. I was in a really tough situation and knew I needed to do something urgently,” he said.
He began seeing Dr Shivam Om Mittal, consultant neurologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, last year at a time when the doctor began evaluating patients for deep brain stimulation, which was not offered by the hospital at the time.
“Previously, the facility was not available, so they had to travel abroad to get it done,” he said.
Patients first must undergo surgery during which the electrodes are implanted. They redirect faulty signals in the brain.
After it is completed they must visit doctors regularly to program the device to deal with fluctuating symptoms.
"To make the device work you need to program, get the right signals in the brain, otherwise just the surgery doesn't do any good," said Dr Mittal.
In the early days following the surgery, the programming visits are weekly, but they are then worked up to months.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant patients were not able to travel abroad for the programming visits, worsening their disease.
“When we did the programming some patients had tears coming from their eyes. They feel like the tremors are under control and their walking is under control,” said Dr Mittal.
“It’s giving their lives back to them. It’s really gratifying.”
James, who underwent the surgery overseas, said the treatment transformed his life.
“I’m able to move a lot better, I go for walks now and I am eating normally. I’m back at work and really feel like I have my life back,” he said.
The next step for the hospital is to offer the surgery. Dr Mittal said that should happen soon.
“We have around six to seven patients and they are eager to get the surgery done at Cleveland Clinic," he said.
"So we are hoping we will be able to get the surgery done for these patients in the next month."
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Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
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5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
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On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
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Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
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Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
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Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
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5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
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7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
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7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
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1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
