Neurobehavioral outcome and subthalamic deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

Subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) is known to improve motor functioning in Parkinson's Disease (PD), but the neurobehavioral impact is less clear. This study examined neurobehavioral outcome of bilateral STN DBS in advanced PD. Study participants were assigned to either a Surgical Group (n=19) or a waitlist Control Group (n=16) and assessed twice. Between assessments, there was a two month interval during which the Surgical Group had STN DBS surgery, while the Control Group had no surgery. In comparison to the Control Group, the Surgical Group showed significant decline in executive functioning, verbal delayed memory, verbal working memory, and verbal fluency. Nevertheless, the Surgical Group also reported significantly improved health and quality of life in several domains including vitality, mental health, general health, and social functioning. In summary, this study revealed that despite declines on several cognitive measures, participants who underwent STN DBS also reported improved quality of life.