Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson¡¯s disease

    CHENG Zhenª²Guo, GAO Guoª²Dong, WANG Xueª²Lian, LI Weiª²Xin

    1Department of Neurosurgery, Xinxiang Municipal Central Hospital, Xinxiang 453000, China, 2Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¡¯an 710038, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To explore the principle, the operative method and the effects for the treatment of Parkinson¡¯s disease (PD) by deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus (STNª²DBS). METHODS: Thirty patients with PD were selected for STNª²DBS. Surgery was performed under local anaesthesia using Cosmanª²Robertsª²Wells (CRW) model frame. Implants were placed into STN CTª²based stereotaxy by microelectrode guidance and intraoperative test stimulation. All patients were followed and evaluated for 6-12 months after surgery. RESULTS: According to UPDRS and Webster scores, the scores of all our patients decreased significantly after the electrical stimulation of the STN (P<0.05) and the symptoms of PD were alleviated significantly. The mean dose of dopaminergic drugs was reduced (P<0.05) and no severe permanent operative complications were found. CONCLUSION: Electrical stimulation of the STN is safe and effective treatment for PD. The severity of many symptoms can be alleviated by adjusting the parameters, and so the dose of levodapa can be reduced. ......