Objective: The current literature provides discrepant results regarding preoperative sociodemographic and clinical factors, and no information about preoperative cerebral metabolic patterns associated with apathy after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in Parkinson disease.
Methods: To resolve this issue, we set out to identify preoperative metabolic patterns and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with increased apathy after STN-DBS. Forty-four patients with Parkinson disease were enrolled in this study. They all underwent STN-DBS. Metabolic activity was assessed with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET 3 months before surgery. Apathy was assessed on the Apathy Evaluation Scale 3 months before and after STN-DBS. We controlled for preoperative age, levodopa therapy, and overall cognitive functions.
Results: Increased apathy after STN-DBS was significantly associated with reduced preoperative metabolism within the right ventral striatum. None of the sociodemographic and clinical variables tested were associated with apathy after STN-DBS.
Conclusions: Preoperative PET, but not sociodemographic or clinical factors, is associated with apathy after STN-DBS.
© 2014 American Academy of Neurology.