Long-term Efficacy of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease: A 5-year Follow-up Study in China.

Background: Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) is effective against advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), allowing dramatic improvement of Parkinsonism, in addition to a significant reduction in medication. Here we aimed to investigate the long-term effect of STN DBS in Chinese PD patients, which has not been thoroughly studied in China. Methods: Ten PD patients were assessed before DBS and followed up 1, 3, and 5 years later using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS III), Parkinson's Disease Questionnatire-39, Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-Chinese Version, Mini-mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale. Stimulation parameters and drug dosages were recorded at each follow-up. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA for repeated measures. Results: In the off state (off medication), DBS improved UPDRS III scores by 35.87% in 5 years, compared with preoperative baseline ( P P P Conclusions: STN DBS is an effective intervention for PD, although associated with a slightly diminished efficacy after 5 years. Compared with other studies, patients in our study required lower voltage and medication for satisfactory symptom control.