Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Bringing the Clinic Home: An At-Home Multi-Modal Data Collection Ecosystem to Support Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
Published on: July 14, 2023
Fast-track programming and rehabilitation model: a novel approach to postoperative deep brain stimulation patient
David B Cohen1, Michael Y Oh, Susan M Baser
1Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuromodulation, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA.
Objective:
To propose a new model of integrated, multidisciplinary postoperative care of the patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Design:
Observational cohort study with follow-up at 3 months and 1 year.
Setting:
Academic medical center movement disorder clinic.
Participants:
Seventy-three consecutive patients with medically refractory Parkinson's disease underwent bilateral DBS. Patients were then transferred directly to an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
Intervention:
DBS and inpatient programming and rehabilitation. Simultaneous programming and rehabilitation was carried out by a multidisciplinary team.
Main Outcome Measures:
The FIM instrument, Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and levodopa dosage.
Results:
The average rehabilitation stay was 17.3 days, with a mean of 6.2 stimulator adjustments during that time. FIM scores improved from 62.1 (admission) to 98.5 (discharge), an average improvement of 36.4 (58.6%). Average UPDRS scores improved from 52.5 (preoperative off) and 30.1 (preoperative on) to 20.4 (3mo postoperative on-medication, on-stimulation), a 32.2% improvement from the preoperative on score. Levodopa dosages decreased by an average of 48.3% (all P<.001).
Conclusions:
We describe our fast-track protocol, which allows for rapid DBS programming and tapering of Parkinson's medications. It also provides for treatment of concomitant medical and psychologic problems and optimized physical performance.
