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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has afforded significant relief to patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who have intractable tremor, dyskinesias, and uncontrolled motor fluctuations. However, variable changes in cognitive function have been reported after DBS treatment. Although most changes are mild and transient, moderate declines in verbal ability after DBS implantation are sufficiently common that most centers conduct preoperative neuropsychiatric testing and consider patients with significant cognitive impairment as unattractive candidates for DBS.
Before and 6 months after implantation of bilateral DBS in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), nine patients with PD underwent tests of verbal fluency, learning, and memory and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose …