Assessing the effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on gait and mobility in people with Parkinson disease
Published: January 2010
Although this is a small study with only eight individuals, the results show the effects of unilateral and bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation on gait and mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study assessed these measures directly in each patient by staging stimulator implantation surgeries.
Gait and mobility were therefore able to be assessed in the medication-on state at three time points: prior to surgery, after the first surgery (unilateral stimulation) and after the second surgery (bilateral stimulation). Despite overall improvements in motor function and a reduction of dyskinesia, there were no significant group effects of unilateral or bilateral STN stimulation on gait and mobility compared to pre-surgical function. However, there were clinically meaningful changes, both improvements and declines, at the individual level.
During the last decade deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a widely accepted method for the treatment of advanced PD; however, little is known about the mechanisms of action of DBS for the subthalamic nucleus (DBS-STN).Small-scale studies such as this one will contribute to the eventual development of consensus on the methodology of DBS-STN, if outcomes can be demonstrated. This study does show that differences in individual outcomes can be quite different.
See also:
Deep brain stimulation and gait disorders in Parkinson disease
Neuropsychological changes 1-year after subthalamic DBS in PD patients: A prospective controlled study
