Parkinson's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Parkinson's Disease, including details on symptoms, treatment, genetics, medication.

The effect of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on kinaesthesia in Parkinson's disease.

Maschke M, Tuite PJ, Pickett K, Wächter T, Konczak J

Sensorimotor Control Laboratory, Division of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. matthias.maschke@uni-essen.de

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease is accompanied by deficits in passive motion and limb position sense. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) reverses these proprioceptive deficits. METHODS AND RESULTS: A passive movement task was applied to nine patients with Parkinson's disease and bilateral chronic STN-DBS and to seven controls. Thresholds for 75% correct responses were 0.9 degrees for controls, 2.5 degrees for Parkinson's disease patients when stimulation was OFF, and 2.0 degrees when stimulation was ON. CONCLUSIONS: STN-DBS improves kinaesthesic deficits in Parkinson's disease, but does not lead to a full recovery of proprioceptive function.

Published 18 March 2005 in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 76(4): 569-71.
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