Does chronic subthalamic nucleus stimulation in advanced Parkinson’s disease cause invalidating cognitive and behavioural dysfunctions?
- Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence to: J D Speelman Academic Medical Center, Postbus 22660, Meibergdreef 9, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands;j.d.speelman{at}amc.uva.nl
Cognitive and behavioural dysfunctions in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) accomplishes favourable long-term improvements of motor symptoms in selected patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease.1 However, disagreement exists about the occurrence of cognitive and behavioural sequelae and their clinical significance. In a large cohort study with 3 years follow-up, Funkiewiez et al2 concluded that STN stimulation did not lead to global cognitive deteriorations. Rodriguez-Oroz et al,1 on the other hand, reported cognitive and behavioural dysfunction in 15 of 49 (30%) patients 3–4 years after surgery. In 11 patients, the dysfunctions were moderate to severe. However, they remarked that the severity of the adverse events did not …
