65-year-Old Patient Plays Musical Instrument During Brain Surgery

A 65-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease, Denise Bacon, played her clarinet during a four-hour brain surgery at King’s College Hospital in London, and saw immediate improvement in her finger movements.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Bacon, a retired speech and language therapist from Crowborough, East Sussex, underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS), a procedure that involves implanting electrodes in the brain to reduce symptoms in patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s.

She was diagnosed in 2014 and the condition had gradually affected her ability to walk, swim, dance, and play the clarinet, a passion she once shared as a member of the East Grinstead Concert Band until she stopped five years ago.

During the procedure, the neurosurgeon, Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, performed the delicate operation while Bacon remained awake under local anaesthesia. The surgical team reported that her right hand regained dexterity as soon as the electrical current was delivered, allowing her to play the clarinet smoothly.

“I remember my right hand being able to move with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, and this, in turn, improved my ability to play the clarinet, which I was delighted with. I’m already experiencing improvements in my ability to walk, and I’m keen to get back in the swimming pool and on the dance floor,” Bacon said.

Prof. Ashkan explained that the surgery involved creating tiny holes “half the size of a five pence piece” in her skull, guided by a precision frame acting “like a sat-nav” to ensure accurate electrode placement.

“We were delighted to see an instant improvement in her hand movements, and therefore her ability to play, once stimulation was delivered to the brain,” he said.