A positive correlation between fractional white matter volume and the response of Parkinson disease patients to subthalamic stimulation
Published: March 2010
Since optimal patient selection is essential for the success of subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation, the identification of reliable outcome predictors is important. This study set out to identify new imaging characteristics sufficiently reliable to predict treatment results.
Using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging studies of 21 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients treated by STN stimulation, the authors performed whole brain-based analysis of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data. 3 months after surgery, the white matter fraction (WMF) was significantly correlated with improvement; patients with a larger white matter volume benefited from STN stimulation. The authors posit that preserved connectivity between components of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit may be required for the effectiveness of electrical stimulation. VBM may represent a powerful tool to predict the response of patients with advanced PD to STN stimulation.
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