Background: Freezing of gait is a disabling feature of Parkinson's disease, and so far no established treatment exists. Deep brain stimulation of the pedunculopontine area has been proposed to treat refractory gait disorders, yet data on measurable effects, especially in combination with stimulation of other targets, are scarce.
Methods: Acute effects of either low frequency pedunculopontine stimulation or high frequency stimulation of the posteroventral lateral globus pallidus internus and a combination of both in a 66-year-old man with advanced Parkinson's disease were assessed. Four weeks after the intervention, the gait was examined with patient blinded in each condition using computerized gait analysis.
Results: Isolated pedunculopontine or pallidal stimulation had a mild impact on gait ignition and freezing of gait, but combined stimulation had a marked effect.
Conclusions: Combined multifocal stimulation may be a promising option for gait ignition and freezing of gait in advanced Parkinson's disease.
Keywords: Deep brain stimulation; Freezing of gait; Globus pallidus; Parkinson's disease; Pedunculopontine nucleus.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.