[Objective measurement of manual dexterity of Parkinson patients operated with DBS]

The evaluation of hand dexterity is an important marker for the success of DBS (deep brain stimulation) operation in patients with Parkinson's disease. In this study we applied a simple, semiquantitative optical dental plaque staining technique for the evaluation of the hand dexterity. Ten patient with Parkinson's disease were involved in the study. After dental students aided tooth brushing, bacterial dental deposits (plaque) were stained then photographed, and quantified under standard conditions before and after DBS surgery. Our results showed a significant decrease in dental plaque deposits after DBS operation. This simple technique seems to be a routinely applicable marker for the evaluation of the hand dexterity. Our future plans is repeating the previous experiement on a higher number of cases.