Does Deep Brain Stimulation Improve Pain in Parkinson Disease?

An 8-year follow-up study suggests benefits despite frequent development of new pain syndromes.

Although many Parkinson disease (PD) symptoms beyond tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia may be responsive to deep brain stimulation (DBS), these potentially stimulation-responsive features have been less studied. To examine the long-term effect of DBS on pain in patients with PD, researchers tracked outcomes in 24 patients after subthalamic DBS. Both the motor symptoms and the severity of pain were recorded serially during follow-up. Pain was assessed using a 0–10 scale and recorded across seven body regions and by classification (dystonic, musculoskeletal, radiculoneuritic, or central pain).

Prior to DBS, 16 patients (67%) had pain when off of their dopaminergic medications, primarily central pain (9 patients). This off-state pain was impro…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)