Subthalamic Stimulation in Parkinson Disease

Background High-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an effective treatment for advanced forms of Parkinson disease. Postoperative improvement of motor parkinsonian disability is known to depend on patient selection and surgical targeting. Objective To determine which clinical and electrophysiological variables evaluated during the operation predict the postoperative clinical outcome of patients with Parkinson disease treated by bilateral high-frequency stimulation of the STN. Methods Intraoperative clinical and electrophysiological data obtained in 41 patients with Parkinson disease who underwent bilateral implantation of electrodes for STN stimulation were correlated with the improvement in parkinsonian disability assessed 6 months after the operation. Results The extent of STN neuronal activity recorded along the trajectory of the therapeutic electrode had no effect on the postoperative clinical outcome. The intraoperative improvement in segmental akinesia, but not rigidity, was predictive of the postoperative improvement in parkinsonian motor disability and reduction in daily levodopa-equivalent dosage. Parkinsonian motor disability scores assessed after surgery were lower in patients with intraoperative stimulation-induced dyskinesias than in those without stimulation-induced dyskinesias. Conclusion The improvement of segmental akinesia and the observation of dyskinesias provoked by stimulation during the operation predict the best postoperative effects of bilateral STN stimulation on parkinsonian motor disability.