Management of Stimulation-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson Disease With Interleaving Programming Settings

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of subthalamic nucleus (STN) can effectively control motor complications in Parkinson disease (PD). The outcome of DBS therapy depends on lead placement in the dorsolateral aspect of STN, as well as post-DBS programming. Effective DBS programming requires knowledge of side effects/complications related to stimulation. One of the infrequent complications of STN DBS is stimulation-induced dyskinesia, which can present similar to levodopa-induced dyskinesia with choreiform, ballistic, or dystonic movements. Stimulation-induced dyskinesia can be bothersome and can interfere with effective control of motor symptoms because typically the contact causing dyskinesia is the most effective in improving motor symptoms. This chapter discusses clinical presentation and management strategies in a patient with tremor-predominant PD who developed stimulation-induced dyskinesia. After trying multiple programming parameters, patient tremor and dyskinesia were effectively controlled on interleaved programming settings. The authors conclude that interleaving DBS programming can be a potential option for management of stimulation-induced dyskinesia.