Effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on quality of life and motor and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease

Jiin-Ling Jiang^a, Sheng-Tzung Tsai^{b, c}, Shin-Yuan Chen^{b, c}

^a Department of Nursing, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
^b Department of Neurosurgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
^c Department of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

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Abstract

The objective of this paper is to review the available literature concerning the effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on quality of life (QoL) and motor and depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). These studies demonstrate that STN-DBS has an effect on QoL and symptoms in patients with PD. There was a significant improvement in QoL following STN-DBS compared with no improvement after medical therapy. PD patients treated with STN-DBS had a 40–50% improvement in motor function. Nevertheless, depressive symptoms did not reveal consistent change.

Keywords

Parkinson's disease; Quality of life; Subthalamic nucleus stimulation; Symptoms