Affiliations: National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital and King's College, Denmark Hill, London, UK | Department of Neurology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany | National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK | Department of Neurosurgery, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK
Note: [] Correspondence to: Lisa Klingelhoefer, MD, Fellow, National Parkinson Foundation International Centre of Excellence, Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital and King's College, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK. Tel.: +44 7456786911; E-mail: lisa.klingelhoefer@nhs.net and Department of Neurology, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a well-established therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), especially those with advanced motor complications. The effect of STN DBS on non motor symptoms (NMS) of PD is less well studied. In this article, we review the pertinent literature on the impact of STN DBS on NMS when they co-exist with disabling motor symptoms in PD patients. We also present evidence that the number and the severity of most NMS decrease after STN DBS which can have a major impact on patients' quality of life.
Keywords: Deep brain stimulation, DBS, Parkinson's disease, PD, subthalamic nucleus, STN, internal globus pallidus, GPi, non motor symptoms
