Unilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson disease

The object of this study was to assess the results of unilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for management of advanced Parkinson disease (PD). A clinical series of 24 patients (mean age 71 years, range 56-80 years) with medically intractable PD, who were undergoing unilateral magnetic resonance imaging-targeted, electrophysiologically guided STN DBS, completed a battery of qualitative and quantitative outcome measures preoperatively (baseline) and postoperatively, using a modified Core Assessment Program for Intracerebral Transplantations protocol. The mean follow-up period was 9 months. Statistically significant improvement was observed in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part II score (18%), the total UPDRS PART III score (31%), the contralateral UPDRS Part III score (63%), and scores for axial motor features (19%), contralateral tremor (88%), rigidity (60%), bradykinesia (54%), and dyskinesia (69%), as well as the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life questionnaire score (15%) in the on-stimulation state compared with baseline. Ipsilateral symptoms improved by approximately 15% or less. Performance on the Purdue pegboard test improved in the contralateral hand in the on-st...Continue Reading