Objective: Programming plays an important role in the outcome of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD). This study introduced a new application for functional zonal image reconstruction in programming.
Methods: Follow-up outcomes were retrospectively compared, including first programming time, number of discomfort episodes during programming, and total number of programming sessions between patients who underwent image-reconstruction-guided programming and those who underwent conventional programming. Data from 142 PD patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN)-DBS between January 2017 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 75 conventional programs and 67 image reconstruction-guided programs.
Results: At 1-year follow-up, there was no significant difference in the rate of stimulus improvement or superposition improvement between the two groups. However, patients who underwent image reconstruction-guided programming were significantly better at the first programming time, number of discomfort episodes during programming, and total number of programming sessions than those who underwent conventional programming.
Conclusion: Imaging-guided programming of directional DBS leads was possible and led to reduced programming time and reduced patient side effects compared with conventional programming.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease; deep brain stimulation; image reconstruction; programming; subthalamic nucleus.
Copyright © 2022 Mei, Chang, Xiong, Jiang and Niu.