Bilateral effects of unilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in advanced Parkinson's disease

To investigate the bilateral effects of unilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), we prospectively studied 9 consecutive advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients (2 men and 7 women) who underwent unilateral STN-DBS. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively with and without dopaminergic medications ('on' and 'off' medication, respectively). Postoperatively, patients were assessed with and without stimulation. We found that, when compared with baseline, the 'off' medication scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor part (UPDRS III) and activities of daily living (UPDRS II) were improved by 37% (p = 0.028) and 50% (p = 0.046) at 6 months after surgery, respectively. Stimulation while 'off' medication improved the total UPDRS score by 42% (p = 0.028) at 6 months. At 6 months after surgery, the subscore of UPDRS III of body parts contralateral to the DBS implantation had improved by 48% (p = 0.028), and the ipsilateral subscore of UPDRS III and the axial subscore of UPDRS III had improved by 20% (p = 0.027) and 39% (p = 0.028), respectively. Daily dosage of levodopa was reduced by 15% at 6 months. No patient exhibited permanent side effects. These findings indicate that unilateral STN-DBS may be a reasonable surgical procedure for selected PD patients who have markedly asymmetric parkinsonism.     

Bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation for Parkinson's disease

High frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is known to ameliorate the signs and symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease. AIM: We studied the effect of high frequency STN stimulation in 23 patients. METHOD: Twenty-three patients suffering from severe Parkinson's disease (Stages III-V on Hoehn and Yahr scale) and, particularly bradykinesia, rigidity, and levodopa-induced dyskinesias underwent bilateral implantation of electrodes in the STN. Preoperative and postoperative assessments of these patients at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up, in "on" and "off" drug conditions, was carried out using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr staging, England activities of daily living score and video recordings. RESULTS: After one year of electrical stimulation of the STN, the patients' scores for activities of daily living and motor examination scores (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale parts II and III) off medication improved by 62% and 61% respectively (p<0.0005). The subscores for the akinesia, rigidity, tremor and gait also improved. (p<0.0005). The average levodopa dose decreased from 813 mg to 359 mg. The cognitive functions remained unchanged. Two patients developed device-related complications and two patients experienced abnormal weight gain. CONCLUSION: Bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation is an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease. It reduces the severity of "off" phase symptoms, improves the axial symptoms and reduces levodopa requirements. The reduction in the levodopa dose is useful in controlling drug-induced dyskinesias.     

Imaging-based programming of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

BackgroundThe need for imaging-guided optimization of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) parameters is increasing with recent developments of sophisticated lead designs offering highly individualized, but time-consuming and complex programming.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare changes in motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the corresponding volume of the electrostatic field (VEsF) achieved by DBS programming using GUIDE XT™, a commercially available software for visualization of DBS leads within the patient-specific anatomy from fusions of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans, versus standard-of-care clinical programming.MethodsClinical evaluation was performed to identify the optimal set of parameters based on clinical effects in 29 patients with PD and bilateral directional leads for Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) DBS. A second DBS program was generated in GUIDE XT™ based on a VEsF optimally located within the dorsolateral STN. Reduction of motor symptoms (Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, MDS-UPDRS) and the overlap of the corresponding VEsF of both programs were compared.ResultsClinical and imaging-guided programming resulted in a significant reduction in the MDS-UPDRS scores compared to off-state. Motor symptom control with GUIDE XT™-derived DBS program was non-inferior to standard clinical programming. The overlap of the two VEsF did not correlate with the difference in motor symptom reduction by the programs.ConclusionsImaging-guided programming of directional DBS leads using GUIDE XT™ is possible without computational background and leads to non-inferior motor symptom control compared with clinical programming. DBS programs based on patient-specific imaging data may thus serve as starting point for clinical testing and may promote more efficient DBS programming.     

Functional imaging of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is an accepted treatment for the motor complications of Parkinson's disease. The therapeutic mechanism of action remains incompletely understood. Although the results of deep brain stimulation are similar to the results that can be obtained by lesional surgery, accumulating evidence from functional imaging and clinical neurophysiology suggests that the effects of subthalamic nucleus‐deep brain stimulation are not simply the result of inhibition of subthalamic nucleus activity. Positron emission tomography/single‐photon emission computed tomography has consistently demonstrated changes in cortical activation in response to subthalamic nucleus‐deep brain stimulation. However, the technique has limited spatial and temporal resolution, and therefore the changes in activity of subcortical projection sites of the subthalamic nucleus (such as the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and thalamus) are not as clear. Clarifying whether clinically relevant effects from subthalamic nucleus‐deep brain stimulation in humans are mediated through inhibition or excitation of orthodromic or antidromic pathways (or both) would contribute to our understanding of the precise mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation and may allow improvements in safety and efficacy of the technique. In this review we discuss the published evidence from functional imaging studies of patients with subthalamic nucleus‐deep brain stimulation to date, together with how these data inform the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society     

双侧丘脑底核脑深部电刺激治疗帕金森病

目的 应用双侧丘脑底核脑深部电刺激（DBS）治疗难治性帕金森病（PD），并对其疗效作出评价。方法 对7例帕金森病患者采用磁共振导向立体定向及术中电生理验证方法，将刺激电极分别植入丘脑底核，采用同期或分期植入刺激发生器。术后1周用程控计算机在体外调速刺激参数，以达到最佳疗效。结果 6例患者术后均获得了显著的疗效。震颤完全消失，肌强直、步态、姿障碍以及药物所致的并发症明显,面时多巴胺类药物用量明显减少，1例曾接爱双侧丘脑腹中间核及一侧苍白球毁损后的患者只得到了轻度改善。结论 DBS法治疗中晚期PD，具有安全，副作用可逆转的优点，且可根据患者的不同状况及病情发展调节刺激参数达到最佳症状控制，完全控制震颤，明显改善肌张力障碍、步态、资势等运动障碍及药物所致的并发症，另外多巴胺类药物的用量也明显减少。     

丘脑底核电刺激术治疗帕金森病的疗效

目的评估丘脑底核脑深部电刺激(STN-DBS)对帕金森病的临床疗效。方法回顾性分析应用STN-DBS手术治疗的32例帕金森病病人的临床资料,在术前、术后3个月分别采用统一帕金森病评定量表(UPDRS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)和症状自评量表(SCL-90)进行随访评估、心理状况问卷调查和分析。结果脉冲发生器开启后,32例病人的UPDRS日常活动和运动功能在"关"状态,平均改善率为51.7%和60.9%;在"开"状态下,平均改善率21.4%和22.3%。20例病人术前SDS评分50分,其SCL-90的抑郁、焦虑、躯体化、人际敏感、敌对、恐怖和偏执7个因子显著高于中国常模(P0.05)。术前与术后SCL-90抑郁、躯体化、恐怖、焦虑、精神病性因子有显著性差异(P0.05),人际敏感、偏执、敌对和强迫等因子无显著性差异(P0.05)。结论 STN-DBS可以改善帕金森病病人的运动功能,提高日常生活能力,还可以明显改善帕金森病伴抑郁病人的心理状况,是安全有效的治疗方法。     

Addiction in Parkinson's disease: Impact of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation

In Parkinson's disease, dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) is characterized by severe dopamine addiction and behavioral disorders such as manic psychosis, hypersexuality, pathological gambling, and mood swings. Here, we describe the case of 2 young parkinsonian patients suffering from disabling motor fluctuations and dyskinesia associated with severe DDS. In addition to alleviating the motor disability in both patients, subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation greatly reduced the behavioral disorders as well as completely abolished the addiction to dopaminergic treatment. Dopaminergic addiction in patients with Parkinson's disease, therefore, does not constitute an obstacle to high‐frequency STN stimulation, and this treatment may even cure the addiction. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society     

Bilateral deep brain stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus for Parkinson's disease

Gait disturbance and postural instability are some the most disabling symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease and in late stage disease can be resistant to both medical and surgical therapies. We implanted bilateral deep brain stimulation electrodes into the pedunculopontine nucleus in two patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. We demonstrate for the first time that low frequency (20-25 Hz) stimulation of this nucleus significantly improves gait dysfunction and postural instability in both the 'on' and 'off' medication states. Their combined total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale score improved by 53% and motor score by 57%. No procedure or stimulation-related complications were observed. If these findings are replicated in a larger number of patients, pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation may provide the means to alleviate these disabling and otherwise treatment-resistant symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease.     

Mood response to deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) improves motor functioning but has variable effects on mood. Little is known about the relationship between electrode contact location and mood response. The authors identified the anatomical location of electrode contacts and measured mood response to stimulation with the Visual Analog Scale in 24 STN DBS PD patients. Participants reported greater positive mood and decreased anxiety and apathy with bilateral and unilateral stimulation. Left DBS improved mood more than right DBS. Right DBS-induced increase in positive mood was related to more medial and dorsal contact locations. These results highlight the functional heterogeneity of the STN.     

Contrast sensitivity in Parkinson's disease patients with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation

This study examined whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) would affect the contrast sensitivity (CS) curve in patients with PD. CS was tested in 12 nondemented PD patients treated with bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS on and off stimulation and medications. Neither stimulation condition (on vs. off) nor medications altered CS performance in this group of patients. However, collapsed across conditions, patients with bipolar stimulation in this study had significantly poorer CS at higher spatial frequencies (12 and 18 cycles per degree) than patients with monopolar stimulation. This suggests that CS deficits in PD may possibly be influenced by DBS polarity and merits further study. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society     

Unilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation improves sleep quality in Parkinson's disease

BackgroundSleep disturbances are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is superior to best medical therapy in the treatment of motor symptoms in advanced PD, and observational studies suggest that bilateral STN DBS improves sleep in these patients as well. Unilateral STN DBS also improves motor function in PD, but its effects on sleep have not been extensively investigated.MethodsWe report the effects of unilateral STN DBS on subjective sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in 53 consecutive PD patients. These subjects completed the PSQI prior to surgery and at 3 and 6 months post-operatively. The primary outcome measure was the change in the global PSQI at 6 months post-operatively versus the pre-operative baseline, measured with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsPatients with PD who underwent unilateral STN DBS had a significant improvement in PSQI at 6 months post-operatively (baseline 9.30 ± 0.56 (mean ± SEM), 6 months: 7.93 ± 0.56, p = 0.013). Supplemental analyses showed that subjects selected for STN DBS placed on the right had worse baseline subjective sleep quality and more improvement in PSQI at 6 months compared to patients who received left STN DBS.ConclusionThis prospective case series study provides evidence that unilateral STN DBS improves subjective sleep quality in patients with PD at up to 6 months post-operatively as measured by the PSQI.     

脑深部电刺激术治疗Hallervorden-Spatz病一例及文献复习

目的 观察双侧丘脑底核脑深部电刺激术治疗1例Hallervorden-Spatz病的手术效果.方法 将脑深部刺激电极植入双侧丘脑底核,分别于术前、开机后1个月、开机后3个月,12个月时对其进行BFM及BFMDMS评分,评价治疗效果.结果 术前、开机后1个月、开机后3个月、12个月的BFMDMS评分分别为114、35、28、14分,症状改善率刺激1个月时为69%、3个月为75%、12个月为88%.持续刺激未引起任何不良反应,患者不再服用相关药物.结论 双侧丘脑底核脑深部电刺激术能够有效的改善严重的全身性肌张力障碍Hallervorden-Spatz病症状,是一种可供选择的安全有效的治疗方法.     

双侧丘脑底核电刺激治疗原发性帕金森病

目的 探讨双侧丘脑底核(STN)电刺激(DBS)对原发性帕金森病(PD)的治疗效果及手术方式。方法 应用MRI扫描、手术计划系统及微电极导向技术进行靶点定位,对15例病人行双侧丘脑底核电极植入及锁骨下刺激器植入,术后1～2周打开刺激器,术后1个月到2年随访评价。结果 全部15例病人术后肢体僵直、震颤及运动迟缓等症状明显缓解,UPDRS运动评分和日常生活能力评分均有显著下降(P<0.01),左旋多巴服用量也有不同程度的减少,无严重或永久并发症发生。结论 双侧STN电刺激手术治疗原发性PD,可全面改善病人症状,尤其是中线症状的改善更为明显;可通过调节刺激参数达到最佳治疗效果并避免副反应的发生;病人服药量减少,是一种安全有效的治疗方法。     

OFF-off rebound dyskinesia in subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation of Parkinson's disease.

A 61-year-old man with Parkinson's disease (PD), motor fluctuations, and dyskinesias underwent bilateral implantation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). One month after surgery, DBS was optimized to bilateral monopolar settings at the most proximal electrode just superior to the STN, which improved motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. At several postoperative evaluations off medications overnight, both stimulators were turned off and within 60 seconds he developed severe dyskinesias. When the stimulators were turned back on, the dyskinesias soon resolved. This article is a first report of a unique pattern of rebound-type dyskinesia that occurred in the off medication state produced by stopping STN DBS.     

Beyond nine years of continuous subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease. The benefits of bilateral subthalamic stimulation are well documented, and some studies reported outcomes with a follow-up of 5 to 6 years; nevertheless, few data are available beyond 5 years. We report a long-term prospective evaluation of 14 consecutive parkinsonian patients, treated by bilateral subthalamic stimulation for at least 9 years. Motor symptoms, activity of daily living, and motor complications were evaluated by means of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, while cognition and mood were assessed with a specific neuropsychological test battery; medication intake, stimulation parameters, comorbidity, and adverse events were also recorded. Patients were evaluated before surgery and at 1, 5, and ≥ 9 years after surgery. At last follow-up, deep brain stimulation significantly improved the motor score by 42% compared to baseline, whereas activities of daily living were no longer improved; there was a 39% reduction in the dosage of dopaminergic drugs and a 59% improvement of L-dopa-related motor complications. The neuropsychological assessment showed that 4 patients (29%) developed a significant cognitive decline over the follow-up period. These results indicate a persistent effect of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on the cardinal motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease patients in the long-term; however, a worsening of patients' disability, mainly due to disease progression, was observed.