Neural Regeneration Research (Jan 2015)

The treatment of Parkinson′s disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues

  • Alexia-Sabine Moldovan,
  • Stefan Jun Groiss,
  • Saskia Elben,
  • Martin Südmeyer,
  • Alfons Schnitzler,
  • Lars Wojtecki

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.160094
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 7
pp. 1018 – 1022

Abstract

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Deep brain stimulation has become a well-established symptomatic treatment for Parkinson′s disease during the last 25 years. Besides improving motor symptoms and long-term motor complications, positive effects on patients′ mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being and health-related quality of life have been recognized. Apart from that, numerous clinical trials analyzed effects on non-motor symptoms and side effects of deep brain stimulation. Several technical issues and stimulation paradigms have been and are still being developed to optimize the therapeutic effects, minimize the side effects and facilitate handling. This review summarizes current therapeutic issues, i.e., patient and target selection, surgical procedure and programming paradigms. In addition it focuses on neuropsychological effects and side effects of deep brain stimulation.

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