Pilot study on a fast postoperative programming approach to subthalamic nucleus stimulation in Parkinson's disease

Objectives : To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a fast post-operative screening method using deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients implanted with electrodes for STN-DBS were divided into two groups : Group I received traditional programming and Group II was treated with the fast method. The time required for programming in each group and the treatment effects were analyzed.
Results: Significant postoperative improvement of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III was achieved in the "off medication" and "on stimulation" condition in both the groups (Group I: 51.2% vs. Group II: 54.0%, P<0.05). The average time needed for programming, however, was significantly shorter in Group II as compared to Group I (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The new fast method can significantly reduce the time required to find a preliminary effective STN-DBS protocol in the early postoperative phase without sacrificing clinical efficacy.