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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
A Novel Approach to Assess Motor Outcome of Deep Brain Stimulation Effects in the Hemiparkinsonian Rat: Staircase and Cylinder Test
Published on: May 31, 2016
Pre-operative cognitive burden as predictor of motor outcome following bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain
Venus Tang1,2, Xian Lun Zhu3, Claire Lau4
1Department of Clinical Psychology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hospital Authority, Shatin, Hong Kong. venustang@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk.
Introduction:
The interrelationship between neurocognitive impairments and motor functions was observed in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). This study was conducted to identify pre-operative neurocognitive and clinical predictors of short-term motor outcome following subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS).
Methods:
All consecutive PD patients who were eligible for bilateral STN-DBS from 2009 to 2019 were evaluated before and at 1 year following surgery. Standard motor evaluation and neurocognitive tests including global cognition, memory, executive functions (attention and category fluency), confrontational speech, visuospatial abilities, and mood were conducted at baseline. The post-operative STN-DBS effects were assessed at 1 year following the surgery. Multiple regression analysis was applied to identify baseline independent predictors of post-operative STN-DBS effect.
Results:
A total of 82 patients were analyzed. It was found that younger age at operation, higher levodopa responsiveness at baseline based on UPDRS-III total score, and better baseline verbal delayed memory and category fluency predicted post-operative motor outcome at 1 year following STN-DBS (F = 9.639, p < 0.001, R2 = .340).
Conclusion:
Our findings demonstrated the role of baseline cognitive burden, especially cognitive processes related to frontostriatal circuits, was significant clinical predictors of short-term motor outcomes following STN-DBS. Profile analysis of neurocognitive functions at baseline is recommended.
