Brain Infection Leaves Woman Convinced She Murdered Husband
A woman was left traumatized after waking up convinced she had murdered her husband due to a brain infection caused by a clinical trial. Sharon Martin, 54, experienced a horrifying hallucination where she saw a bloody crime scene in her bedroom, believing she had shot her husband. However, it was all a result of the infection from an implant in her brain. This incident has left Mrs. Martin unable to work and struggling with the aftermath of the terrifying experience.
Mrs. Martin had a titanium port delivery system implanted in her brain as part of a clinical trial to treat her Parkinson’s disease. The system allowed a growth protein called GDNF to be delivered directly into her brain tissue. While initially successful in stopping her tremors, the trial was ultimately discontinued due to inconclusive results. Unfortunately, the implant was left in her brain, leading to an infection in July 2021.
The infection caused Mrs. Martin to experience vivid hallucinations, including believing she had killed her husband. After being rushed to the hospital and undergoing emergency surgery to remove the port delivery system, she was left with lasting trauma from the ordeal. She now struggles with memory loss and a feeling of losing her true self, attributing it to the infection rather than her Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cells in the brain controlling movement. The illness gradually worsens over time, causing symptoms such as tremors, slow movements, and muscle stiffness. Mrs. Martin’s experience highlights the importance of careful monitoring and aftercare in clinical trials to prevent such negative outcomes. Despite the challenges she faced, Mrs. Martin’s bravery in sharing her story has led to important lessons learned for future research in Parkinson’s treatment.