Unilateral pallidal stimulation for Parkinson's disease: Neurobehavioral functioning before and 3 months after electrode implantation
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Unilateral pallidotomy is thought to have a low risk for cognitive morbidity. Nonetheless, recent research suggests that some patients experience declines in memory and language and that pallidal stimulation might be a safer treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated the neurobehavioral effects of unilateral pallidal stimulation. Nine consecutive PD patients undergoing unilateral deep brain-stimulating electrode implantation in the globus pallidus interna were evaluated with a neuropsychological test battery approximately 1 month before and 3 months after surgery. Patients reported significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety and greater vigor after surgery. There was a trend toward fewer depressive symptoms. Semantic verbal fluency and visuoconstructional test scores declined significantly after surgery. However, among five patients showing declines in semantic verbal fluency, only one patient's score declined by more than 2 SD. No patient showed significant decline or improvement in the overall level of cognitive functioning. This study supports the relative safety, in terms of cognitive function, of unilateral pallidal stimulation in PD.
Publication Date
1-1-1997
Publication Title
Neurology
ISSN
00283878
Volume
49
Issue
4
First Page
1078
Last Page
1083
PubMed ID
9339693
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1212/WNL.49.4.1078
Recommended Citation
Tröster, Alexander I.; Fields, J. A.; Wilkinson, S. B.; Pahwa, R.; Miyawaki, E.; Lyons, K. E.; and Koller, W. C., "Unilateral pallidal stimulation for Parkinson's disease: Neurobehavioral functioning before and 3 months after electrode implantation" (1997). Clinical Neuropsychology. 140.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neuropsychology/140