Deep Brain Stimulation

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For patients who are musicians, deep brain stimulation (open-brain) surgery can provide entertainment for operating-room doctors as they correct neurological conditions such as hand tremors. 

In September, the concert violinist Naomi Elishuv, who has performed with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, played for surgeons at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center so they could locate the exact spot in the brain for inserting the pacemaker to control the hand-trembling that had wrecked her career. 

In fact, last week's winner of the annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Eddie Adcock, 76, had finger-picked some tunes in the operating room in 2007 for his own deep brain surgery. [Huffington Post, 9-11-2014] [New York Times, 9-16-2014] 

Me? I had some deep-heart stimulation in March and that's enough. So far the ol' brain's not too bad. Used to play guitar and bass guitar but I'd need six months to get my finger calluses back if I was going to pick anything other than my proboscis in the operating room.

See ya, eh!

Bob