Walking Speed Reliably Measures Clinically Significant Changes in Gait by Directional Deep Brain Stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) often improves levodopa-responsive gait symptoms, robust therapies for gait dysfunction from Parkinson's disease (PD) remain a major unmet need. Walking speed could represent a simple, integrated tool to assess DBS efficacy but is often not examined systematically or quantitatively during DBS programming. Here we investigate the reliability and functional significance of changes in gait by directional DBS in the subthalamic nucleus. Methods: Nineteen patients underwent unilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS surgery with an eight-contact directional lead (1-3-3-1 configuration) in the most severely affected hemisphere. They arrived off dopaminergic medications >12 h preoperatively and for device activation 1 month after surgery.

SUBMITTER: Hurt CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7879982 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature