In the 1980s and 1990s, a surgical DBS intervention was trialled for the treatment of PD.8 Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves the implantation of one or more electrodes into specific regions of the brain.1,4 The electrodes deliver electrical stimuli to change or disrupt abnormal patterns of neural signalling.1 The process often results in improvements in motor function, as well as reduced motor complications.1 The treatment is now well established worldwide, and more than 200,000 patients have benefited from DBS.9
References:
1. Hickey P, Stacy M. Deep brain stimulation: a paradigm shifting approach to treat Parkinson’s disease. Front Neurosci 2016; 10: 173.
2. Limousin P, Foltynie T. Long-term outcomes of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2019; 15 (4): 234–242.
3. Mahlknecht P, Foltynie T, Limousin P, Poewe W. How does deep brain stimulation change the course of Parkinson’s disease? Mov Disord 2022; 37 (8): 1581–1592.
4. Huys A-CML, Bally JF, Pollak P. Deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease. In: Wolters & Baumann (eds). Parkinson Disease and Other Movement Disorders. VU University Press, 2014.
5. Haubenberger D, Hallett M. Essential tremor. N Engl J Med 2018; 378 (19): 1802–1810.
6. Buhmann C, Huckhagel T, Engel K, et al. Adverse events in deep brain stimulation: a retrospective long-term analysis of neurological, psychiatric and other occurrences. PLoS One 2017; 12 (7): e0178984.
7. Lhommée E, Wojtecki L, Czernecki V, et al. Behavioural outcomes of subthalamic stimulation and medical therapy versus medical therapy alone for Parkinson’s disease with early motor complications (EARLYSTIM trial): secondary analysis of an open-label randomised trial. Lancet Neurol 2018; 17 (3): 223–231.
8. Moldovan A-S, Groiss SJ, Elben S, et al. The treatment of Parkinson’s disease with deep brain stimulation: current issues. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10 (7): 1018–1022.
9. Hariz M, Blomstedt Y, Blomstedt P, Hariz G-M. Anthropology of deep brain stimulation; the 30th Anniversary of STN DBS in 2023. Mov Disord Clin Practice 2023; 10 (9): 1285–1292.
