Deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: opening up the race towards better technology.

摘要

In this issue of The Lancet Neurology, Michael Okun and colleagues report on a randomised controlled trial of subthalamic neurostimulation for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease. The study confirms the marked benefit that deep brain stimulation (DBS) exerts on parkinsonian motor symptoms, and also offers interesting and novel findings about this surgical therapy. Several previous studies have established that DBS of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective surgical alternative with acceptable risks in patients whose motor fluctuations, dyskinesia, or severe tremor can no longer be controlled by drug therapy.