Direction and predictive factors for the shift of brain structure during deep brain stimulation electrode...

Objectives.  The aims of this study were to clarify the direction and degree of brain shift, and to determine the predictive factors for a brain shift during deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Materials and Methods.  To evaluate the brain shift during bilateral STN-DBS, the position of the anterior commissure (AC), posterior commissure (PC), midcommissure point (MC), and tip of the frontal lobe and anterior horn of the lateral ventricle were calculated pre- and poststereotactic operations in the three-dimensional direction employing special software (Leksell SurgiPlan). To determine the predictive factors for a brain shift, patient's age, operation hours, width of the third ventricle, bicaudate index (BCI), and cella media index (CMI) were compared with the shift of MC. Results.  In 50 patients, the MC shifted mainly in the posterior direction (y-axis: 1.27 ± 0.7 mm), and the shifts in the inferior direction (z-axis: 0.11 ± 0.43 mm) and lateral direction (x-axis: 0.02 ± 0.39 mm) were small. The shift of the MC in the posterior direction correlated well with the shift of the tip of the anterior lobe and anterior horn. Among the predictive factors examined, namely, the patient's age, operation hours, width of the third ventricle, BCI, and CMI, only the CMI showed a correlation with the shift of the MC (r = 0.42, p < 0.01, Pearson's correlation coefficient; and p < 0.05, logistic regression analysis). Conclusions.  In bilateral STN-DBS, brain shift occurred mainly in the posterior direction, and the CMI is useful for the prediction of a brain shift. Enlargement of the body part of the lateral ventricle is the most reliable factor for predicting a brain shift.