Functional balance performance in patients with Parkinson's disease after long-term treatment with subthalamic nucleus high-frequency stimulation

Abstract

The aim was to investigate if functional balance performance in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) was affected by long-term (3 years) treatment with bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) high-frequency stimulation. Thirty-five patients were consecutively included, and 28 patients completed the study (mean age 62 years, SD 6.5). The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was assessed preoperatively and 1 and 3 years postoperatively (with and without anti-PD medication and with the STN stimulation turned OFF or ON). Although the balance performance of patients with PD decreased over time, the functional balance performance was still positively affected by STN stimulation alone 3 years after surgery.