Effective long-term subthalamic stimulation in PARK8 positive Parkinson’s disease
Published: March 2010
Whether patients with genetically defined Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be particularly eligible to benefit from deep brain stimulation of the nucleus subthalamicus (STN-DBS) is currently the subject of debate. This article reports on a patient with advanced PD due to a R793M missense mutation in the LRRK2 gene who was successfully treated by STN-DBS.
Disease onset was at age 42; at age 60 the patient was treated by bilateral DBS-STN. One year after surgery a 66% improvement of the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score in the off-medication state was determined. During the long-term follow-up there was sustained benefit, with 56% improvement of motor score after 8 years.
LRRK2 monogenetic Parkinsonism may indicate a potential genetic predictor for a positive long-term effect of STN-DBS treatment.
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