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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
Published on: July 16, 2014
Management of antiparkinsonian therapy during chronic subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease
M Zibetti1, A Cinquepalmi, S Angrisano
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy. mzibetti@molinette.piemonte.it
Objective:
This article reports the detailed analysis of antiparkinsonian drug therapy in 78 consecutive Parkinson's disease (PD) patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN).
Methods:
The amount and type of antiparkinsonian drugs--including L-dopa, dopamine receptor agonists, associated drugs such as catechol-O-methyl transferase and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, amantadine and anticholinergics--were quantified before surgery and at two control visits 1 and 3 years following chronic STN stimulation.
Results:
The L-dopa mean daily dose was reduced by approximately 60% after 1 year and remained stable after 3 years. Apomorphine, bromocriptine, tolcapone and selegiline were withdrawn after STN-DBS. Three years postoperatively, 9 patients (11.5%) no longer required L-dopa and 6 patients (7.7%) completely stopped all dopaminergic medications. More patients were on monotherapy with either L-dopa or dopamine receptor agonist, and fewer patients required combined treatment of dopamine receptor agonist and L-dopa compared with the pre-surgical condition.
Conclusions:
Dopaminergic drug treatment is persistently reduced and simplified following chronic STN-DBS for up to 3 years.
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