Unilateral subthalamic stimulation for early-stage Parkinson's disease]

According to evidenced-based criteria, surgical treatment with subthalamic stimulation is indicated for advanced Parkinson's disease with severe motor complications. Currently, the treatment is indicated for patients in whom medical treatment has failed even if the patient is still in an early stage. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of unilateral subthalamic stimulation for patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease. We evaluated the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Schwab England ADL score before and 6 months after this treatment in 6 patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease demonstrating predominantly unilateral parkinsonian symptoms. We implanted a stimulation electrode (model 3387 or 3389) unilaterally on the side showing dominate symptoms, using both MRI and electrophysiological guidance. Six months after the beginning of stimulation, the UPDRS motor score without medication was improved by 64% and the Schwab England ADL score was improved by 23%. There were no adverse events except for asymptomatic intra-ventricular hemorrhage in one patient. Unilateral subthalamic stimulation is a useful treatment for patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease showing predominantly unilateral parkinsonian symptoms. However, long-term results of subthalamic stimulation for early-stage patients remain unclear.