Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of deep-brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease aged 75 years and older. Methods: From March 2013 to June 2021, 27 patients with Parkinson’s disease (≥75 years old) who underwent DBS surgery at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital were selected. The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part 3 (UPDRS-III), 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), and Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (BI) scores were used to evaluate motor function and quality of life before surgery and during on and off periods of DBS at 1 year post operation and at the final follow-up. A series of non-motor scales were used to evaluate sleep, cognition, and mood, and the levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) was also assessed. Adverse events related to surgery were noted. Results: The average follow-up time was 55.08 (21−108) months. Symptoms were significantly improved at 1 year post operation. The median UPDRS-III score decreased from 35 points (baseline) to 19 points (improvement of 45.7%) in the stimulation-on period at 1 year post operation (t = 19.230, p < 0.001) and to 32 points (improvement of 8.6%) at the final follow-up (t = 3.456, p = 0.002). In the stimulation-off period, the median score of UPDRS-III increased from 35 points to 39 points (deterioration of −11.4%) at 1 year post operation (Z = −4.030, p < 0.001) and 45 points (deterioration of −28.6%) at the final follow-up (Z = −4.207, p < 0.001). The PDQ-39 overall scores decreased from 88 points (baseline) to 55 points (improvement of 37.5%) in the stimulation-on period at 1 year post operation (t = 11.390, p < 0.001) and 81 points (improvement of 8.0%) at the final follow-up (t = 2.142, p = 0.044). In the stimulation-off period, the median PDQ-39 score increased from 88 points to 99 points (deterioration of −12.5%) at the final follow-up (Z = −2.801, p = 0.005). The ADL-Barthel Index score increased from 25 points (baseline) to 75 points (improvement of 66.7%) at 1 year post operation (Z = −4.205, p < 0.001) and to 35 points (improvement of 28.6%) at the final follow-up (Z = −4.034, p < 0.001). In the stimulation-off period, BI scores decreased from 25 points to 15 points (deterioration of −40%) at 1 year post operation (Z = −3.225, p = 0.01) and to 15 points (deterioration of −40%) at the final follow-up (Z = −3.959, p = 0.001). Sleep, cognition, and mood were slightly improved at 1 year post operation (p < 0.05), and LEDD was reduced from 650 mg (baseline) to 280 mg and 325 mg at 1 year post operation and the final follow-up, respectively (p < 0.05). One patient had a cortical hemorrhage in the puncture tract on day 2 after surgery, five patients had hallucinations in the acute stage after surgery, and one patient had an exposed left-brain electrode lead at 4 months post operation; there were no infections or death. Conclusion: DBS showed efficacy and safety in treating older patients (≥75 years old) with Parkinson’s disease. Motor function, quality of life, activities of daily living, LEDD, and sleep all showed long-term improvements with DBS; short-term improvements in emotional and cognitive function were also noted.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; deep brain stimulation; levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD); older patients.