Objectives: To assess the efficacy of bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease previously reliant on apomorphine as their main antiparkinsonian medication.

Methods: Seven patients with motor fluctuations despite optimal medical treatment given as predominantly apomorphine infusion (n=6), or intermittent apomorphine injections (n=1) underwent bilateral STN DBS using frameless stereotactic surgery. Standard assessments of parkinsonism and motor fluctuations, using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) were performed before and six months after surgery. Assessments were performed both on and off medication, and postoperative with the stimulators switched on and off.

Results: Bilateral STN DBS improved motor scores (UPDRS III) by 61% when off medication (p<0.05). Clinical fluctuations (UPDRS IV items 36-39) were reduced by 46.2% (p<0.05). Total daily apomorphine dose was reduced by 68.9% (p<0.05) and apomorphine infusion via a pump was no longer required in four patients. There were no operative complications. Two patients required treatment for hallucinations postoperatively but there was no significant change in mini-mental state examination.

Conclusions: In patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, previously reliant on apomorphine, bilateral STN DBS is an effective treatment to reduce motor fluctuations and enable a reduction in apomorphine use.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1738303PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.74.2.170DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

parkinson's disease
12
deep brain
8
brain stimulation
8
subthalamic nucleus
8
advanced parkinson's
8
reliant apomorphine
8
motor fluctuations
8
bilateral stn
8
stn dbs
8
stimulation subthalamic
4

Similar Publications

Background: Comprehensive clinical data regarding factors influencing the individual disease course of patients with movement disorders treated with deep brain stimulation might help to better understand disease progression and to develop individualized treatment approaches.

Methods: The clinical core data set was developed by a multidisciplinary working group within the German transregional collaborative research network ReTune. The development followed standardized methodology comprising review of available evidence, a consensus process and performance of the first phase of the study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Increased plasma DOPA decarboxylase levels in Lewy body disorders are driven by dopaminergic treatment.

Nat Commun

January 2025

Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

DOPA Decarboxylase (DDC) has been proposed as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker with increased concentrations in Lewy body disorders (LBDs) and highest levels in patients receiving dopaminergic treatment. Here we evaluate plasma DDC, measured by proximity extension assay, and the effect of dopaminergic treatment in three independent LBD (with a focus on dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease (PD)) cohorts: an autopsy-confirmed cohort (n = 71), a large multicenter, cross-dementia cohort (n = 1498) and a longitudinal cohort with detailed treatment information (n = 66, median follow-up time[IQR] = 4[4, 4] years). Plasma DDC was not altered between different LBDs and other disease groups or controls in absence of treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The genetics of neurodegenerative diseases is the genetics of age-related damage clearance failure.

Mol Psychiatry

January 2025

Department of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Cardiff University, United Kingdom and UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

In this perspective we draw together the data from the genome wide association studies for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and the tauopathies and reach the conclusion that in each case, most of the risk loci are involved in the clearance of the deposited proteins: in Alzheimer's disease, the microglial removal of Aβ, in the synucleinopathies, the lysosomal clearance of synuclein and in the tauopathies, the removal of tau protein by the ubiquitin proteasome. We make the point that most loci identified through genome wide association studies are not strictly pathogenic but rather relate to failures to remove age related damage. We discuss these issues in the context of copathologies in elderly individuals and the prediction of disease through polygenic risk score analysis at different ages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Filipinos and Parkinson's disease: A scoping review of the literature.

Parkinsonism Relat Disord

January 2025

The Queen's Medical Center, 1301 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA; University of Hawai'i at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.

Background: Filipinos are the third largest sub-group of Asian Americans in the United States and have greater socioeconomic and health disparities than many other Asian sub-groups [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Characteristics of Filipino patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have not been adequately studied.

Objective: To scope the extent, range and nature of current knowledge on PD in Filipino-American (FA) patients in contrast to Filipino patients in general.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Just a fat joke? Time will tell.

Parkinsonism Relat Disord

January 2025

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!