Validation of the STN-DBS intervention as a treatment for Parkinson's disease by studying the accuracy of electrode placement and possible correlation with motor symptoms

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is present approximately in 10 million individuals all over the world, being one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, and statistics denote that its prevalence will raise in the coming years. Deep brain stimulation is an effective surgical treatment for patients who do not improve with drug treatment and who present many motor symptoms. Deep brain stimulation constitutes the implantation of electrodes in specific brain structures, nevertheless, this study has focused on the subthalamic nucleus, being the main target region for Parkinson’s disease. In order to have satisfactory post-surgical results, where the patient has a considerable reduction in motor symptoms, it is essential to present a correct lead placement accuracy, which corresponds with what has been planned before surgery by terms of using the neuronavigator. The principal objective of this study is to validate the accuracy of the actual technique used in the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, which is guided exclusively by image, as well as to establish a possible relationship between the patient's clinic, following the UPDRS scale type III, once it has undergone surgery and the accuracy of the electrodes, to verify that it essential to achieve its maximum effectiveness. Thus, objective arguments of the image-guided and image-verified technique can also be given as well as providing assertion of completing the procedure with the patient completely anaesthetised, since currently in Catalonia most centres do so with the patient awake and with microelectrode recording...