Predictors of multi-domain cognitive decline following DBS for treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Statistically and clinically significant cognitive declines are observed in a small subset of individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD) following treatment with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).

Objectives: We examine the association between multi-domain cognitive decline (MCD) and demographic and baseline clinical variables and the incidence of serious adverse events (SAE) arising within a six-month interval following DBS for PD.

Method: Study participants with PD who displayed MCD at 6-month follow-up evaluation after DBS (n = 18) were contrasted with individuals with PD from the same study who did not show cognitive decline after DBS (n = 146).

Healthcare Utilization and Costs for Patients With Parkinson's Disease After Deep Brain Stimulation.

Objective: To compare the complications, healthcare utilization and costs following DBS or medical management for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We examined healthcare utilization and costs for up to 5 years between veterans with DBS and those with medical management for PD. Veterans who received DBS between 2007 and 2013 were matched with veterans who received medical management using propensity score approaches.

Comparing two randomized deep brain stimulation trials for Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Several randomized studies have compared the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus with the best medical treatment in large groups of patients. Important outcome measures differ between studies. Two such major studies, the life-quality study of the German Competence Network for Parkinson's disease (LQ study) and the US Veterans Affairs/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial (VA/NINDS trial), were compared here in order to understand their differences in outcomes.

Association of Preoperative Diagnosis with Clinical Yield of Muscle Biopsy.

Background: Muscle biopsy is a common diagnostic marker for myopathy assessment; however, it has a relatively low pathologic yield of less than 60%. Additionally, both diagnostic and non-diagnostic muscle biopsies can provide guidance for treatment, i.e, provide therapeutic usefulness.

Referring Service Effect on Muscle Biopsy Diagnosis and Management in Myopathy.

Introduction Requests for muscle biopsy for evaluation of myopathy originate from a variety of different specialties. It is unknown whether the specialty of the referring service affects the likelihood of diagnostic biopsy or the therapeutic usefulness of a biopsy. Methods We reviewed 106 consecutive muscle biopsies requested by healthcare providers in neurology, rheumatology, family medicine, oncology, and gastroenterology.