An Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to combat his Parkinson’s disease.
Rand Laycock, 70, the director and conductor of a symphony orchestra, was diagnosed just before his 60th birthday, according to a press release from Cleveland Clinic.
“My doctor at the time told me [a Parkinson’s diagnosis] wasn’t a death sentence, and there would be advancements over the next few years to help with my treatment,” said Laycock.
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Even after a regimen of medications, however, Laycock’s symptoms continued to progress over the next 11 years.
When tremors in his right hand began increasing in severity and frequency, he began exploring other treatments.
“The tremor would really start to be pronounced if I had a deadline coming up for something with the orchestra,” Laycock told Cleveland Clinic.
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He also started experiencing dyskinesias, which are involuntary movements that can be a side effect of long-term use of certain Parkinson’s medications.
Michal Gostkowski, DO, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic, introduced Laycock to the alternative option of deep brain stimulation (DBS), which was described as a “pacemaker for the brain.”
DBS is a “treatment that involves an implanted device that delivers an electrical current directly to areas of your brain,” according to Cleveland Clinic.
There are billions of neurons in the brain, which communicate using electrical and chemical signals. Some brain conditions, including Parkinson’s, can make those neurons less active, the same source stated.
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Deep brain stimulation applies an electrical current to make those neurons more active.
In May 2024, Laycock received a brain implant as the first step of the DBS therapy. He then activated and set up his device with programmer Erica Hennigs, the release detailed.
“When it comes to programming the device, we try different settings at first,” said Hennigs. “We then adjust those during follow-up visits as we learn more about how his symptoms are being controlled.”
After seeing success for nearly a year, Laycock progressed to a more advanced form of DBS called adaptive deep brain stimulation, or aDBS.
“Traditional DBS gives the same stimulation to the brain 24 hours a day. What makes aDBS different is that it can adapt and fine-tune the stimulation in real time,” said Dr. Michael Gostkowski, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic, in the release.
“By tracking a certain frequency in the brain, it can increase or decrease the stimulation as needed to better control symptoms.”
Laycock was a good candidate for the advanced therapy because his symptoms fluctuated throughout the day, which means a treatment that could adapt to those fluctuations could be more effective, according to the clinic.
“Since Rand’s a music conductor, fine-tuning with aDBS would reduce the risk of him experiencing tremors if his medication were to wear off in the middle of a concert or performance,” said Hennigs.
Because of his previous positive experience with DBS, Laycock jumped at the chance to receive the new version.
“It sounded like it would make my life simpler – not having to worry about adjusting my device settings and medications as frequently,” he told Cleveland Clinic.
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The conductor’s implanted device was able to support new adaptive technology, so it was just a matter of working with Hennigs to update the settings.
Laycock began receiving aDBS in March 2025. Now, his tremors are almost completely gone except for times of extreme stress or anxiety, according to the release.
“And my dyskinesia is pretty well under control,” he said. “My symptoms are minimal compared to the way they were, and a lot of that is due to adaptive deep brain stimulation.”
Laycock is now approaching his 47th year as a music conductor, the release stated, and he looks forward to spending time with his wife, two children and granddaughter.
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Gostkowski encourages Parkinson’s patients to ask their doctors about DBS or aDBS as an option to control symptoms and improve quality of life.
Laycock added, “I know the thought of brain surgery can be intimidating, but it’s a life-changing procedure that allows you to become your own self again.”
