Impact of deep brain stimulation therapy on the vertebral sagittal balance in Parkinson ’s disease patients

This study aims to define the possible impact of DBS, with selective targeting on the dorsal-lateral region of the STN, on the sagittal balance of patients affected by PD. Among all patients that have undergone D BS procedures in our institution, we selected eight subjects, four females and four males, with selective targeting on the dorsal-lateral region of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) because of camptocormia and other severe postural changes. Radiological assessments of spinal balance parameters before su rgery and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively were carried out. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative spine X-ray data showed a statistically significant improvement in dorsal kyphosis angle (D-Cobb) 12 months after the operation. Deep brain stimulation with selective targeting of the dorsal lateral part of the STN may induce changes of the posture in patients with Parkinson’s disease 12 months after the operation, which appears to improve in this small sample size, but larger observational and controlled trials would be required to confirm this observation.
Source: Neurosurgical Review - Category: Neurosurgery Source Type: research