Efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy for the treatment of Parkinson disease.

Objective: To review the literature describing the efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy and to determine the best treatment option for patients with Parkinson disease (PD).

Data Sources: Literature was obtained through MEDLINE/PubMed (1948-September, week 2, 2011) and a bibliographic review of relevant articles. Key words included Parkinson disease, medication, pharmacotherapy, surgery, deep brain stimulation, and best medical therapy.