The Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation in Patients with Multiple System Atrophy

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Badihian, Negin | Jackson, Lauren M. | Klassen, Bryan T. | Hassan, Anhar | Low, Phillip A. | Singer, Wolfgang | Coon, Elizabeth A.^{; *}

Affiliations: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Elizabeth A. Coon, MD, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Tel.: 507 538 8437; Fax: 507 538 6012; coon.elizabeth@mayo.edu

Abstract: The course of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) is unclear. In a retrospective review of 1,496 patients with MSA evaluated at our institutions from 1998–2021, 12 patients underwent DBS; 9 had a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at the time of surgery. Nine patients reported initial improvement in at least one symptom and 7 experienced overall worsening following DBS. All patients had at least one red flag sign or symptom suggesting atypical parkinsonism prior to surgery. Considering overall poor outcomes of DBS in MSA, we recommend careful consideration of red flags in patient selection.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, parkinsonism, ataxia, deep brain stimulation

DOI: 10.3233/JPD-223504

Journal: Journal of Parkinson's Disease, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 2595-2600, 2022