Strumming My Brain with His Fingers

To commemorate its 500th “deep brain stimulation” surgery in May, UCLA Medical Center live-tweeted its operation on musician Brad Carter, 39, during which he was required to strum his guitar and sing so that surgeons would know where in his brain to plant the electrical stimulator that would relieve his Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Carter had developed hand tremors in 2006, but the stimulator, once it’s properly programmed and the surgery healed, is expected to reduce his symptoms, restore some guitar-playing ability and reduce his medication need. (And, yes, patients normally remain conscious during the surgery.)