Bilateral Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation Improves Gastric Emptying Time in Parkinson Disease

It is well-established that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can improve motor function in those with Parkinson disease (PD); however, its effects on gastrointestinal disorders remain unclear.

From January 2019 to December 2020, 26 patients with PD who had undergone subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS were included in our study. The evaluated items included the pre- and postoperative dose of levodopa, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, scores with and without medication and stimulation, and gastric emptying time (expressed as the peak time of carbon-¹³C dioxide excretion in the ¹³C-acetate breath test). Sex-, age-, and body weight-matched controls were recruited to test the gastric emptying time in healthy individuals.

All the patients benefited from DBS. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, scores had decreased from 48.5 ± 13.77 to 25.23 ± 8.59 without medication and 31.23 ± 11.4 to 13.92 ± 5.27 with medication. The levodopa equivalent dose had decreased from 1009.8 ± 291 mg to 707.65 ± 193.79 mg. The gastric emptying time was significantly prolonged in the patients with PD before DBS compared with the healthy control group (29.23 ± 6.58 minutes) and had improved to 35.19 ± 10.14 minutes with medication and 38.07 ± 11.17 minutes without medication after 3 months of STN stimulation. At 6 months postoperatively, the gastric emptying time was 32.3 ± 10.02 minutes without medication and 33.84 ± 10.79 minutes with medication.

A delayed gastric emptying time is associated with greater PD severity. Antiparkinsonian medications did not affect gastric emptying in patients with PD. STN DBS can improve both movement function and gastrointestinal motility in patients with PD in the long term. The exact mechanism by which DBS improves gastric emptying requires further exploration.