Deep Brain Stimulation involves surgery to implant very fine wires, with electrodes at their tips, deep into the brain. These are connected to a pulse generator (a device like a pacemaker), which is placed under the skin around the chest.
It is more than an operation – it is a lifelong therapy, where a positive outcome requires a meticulous approach to surgery combined with regular optimisation of medication and stimulation parameters in the years that follow.
For the team this is an opperation they do frequently. For patients it can feel like their one chance to regain quality of life in the face of a highly debilitating, incurable, neurological condition.
White Out explores human frailty and hi-tech precision, a subjective, emotive perspective in parallel with current clinical practice, to create a delicate depiction of a man trying to keep track of the line between himself and his symptoms.
With thanks to:
The Functional Neurosurgery Team at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery: particularly Professor Marwan Hariz, Professor Patricia Limousin, Professor Ludvic Zrinzo, Professor Tom Foltynie, Associate Professor Harith Akram, Specialist DBS Nurses: Maricel Salazar, Joseph Candelario-Mckeown, and Catherine Milabo, Linda Taib; Parkinson’s UK: particularly Claire Bale and Bob Taylor; Ian and Debs Frizell, Tim Andrews, Emma Sutton, Nicholas Clements, Richard Collins and Flic Eden, Rosie Holtom, Joe Dunthorne, Ben Brockett, Fay Ballard, Nick Kaplony, Sally Waterman, Rosy Martin, Jane Wildgoose, Judy Goldhill, Francesca Alberry, Julian Orbach, Enrico Tubaldi, Catherine Orbach, Photofusion, Street Level Photoworks: particularly Lachlan Young, UCLH Arts in Health: particularly Guy Noble, UCLH Charity, and everyone who shared their stories.
The project was created in collaboration with Dr Simon Little, funded by Arts Council England, and a team of helpers, and supported by Parkinson’s UK.
