Intracerebral microdialysis during deep brain stimulation surgery.

Background: This report describes the use of microdialysis in conjunction with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to assess extracellular levels of neurotransmitters within the human basal ganglia (BG). Electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an efficacious treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease, yet the mechanisms of STN DBS remain poorly understood. Measurement of neurotransmitter levels within the BG may provide insight into mechanisms of DBS, but such an approach presents technical challenges.