Bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation is an effective and safe treatment option for the older patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: We aimed to provide evidence that subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective and safe treatment option for older patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Patients And Methods: Bilateral STN DBS was performed in 55 patients with PD from 2012 to 2016 at Samsung Medical Center. We divided them into two groups based on the age at DBS: younger group (<65 years, n = 38) and older group (≥65 years, n = 17). For evaluating effectiveness, we compared pre- and post-DBS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part 3 and 4 scores and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) between the two groups. Additionally, surgery-related complications in each group were assessed.

Results: The mean age of the younger group was 56.7 ± 5.7 and that of the older group was 68.5 ± 2.9. More female patients underwent STN DBS in the younger group, but there were no differences in baseline characteristics. In terms of effectiveness, UPDRS part 3 and 4 scores and LEDD significantly improved 6 months after DBS in both groups. In terms of safety, 1 complication was observed in the younger group (2.6%), while 2 complications, including 1 subject with intracerebral hemorrhage, were observed in the older group (11.8%, p = 0.225).

Conclusion: Based on our results, STN DBS can be applied in well-selected older patients with PD as well as in younger patients. However, despite the lack of statistical significance, more attention should be paid on surgical complications in the older group.