Illness perceptions in pre-operative Parkinson's disease patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Medical Research

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) presents with motor and non-motor symptoms impacting patient autonomy.
• Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) improves motor function but can lead to post-operative social maladjustment in some patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe pre-operative illness perceptions in Parkinson's disease patients considered for STN-DBS.
• To evaluate the impact of cognitive restructuring on these perceptions.

Main Methods:

• 27 Parkinson's disease patients undergoing STN-DBS evaluation were analyzed.
• Patients completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) and underwent two pre-operative psychological interviews.
• A cognitive restructuring group (CRTG) received targeted interventions, while a control group (PIG) had non-structured interviews.

Main Results:

• Illness perceptions remained largely stable pre-operatively, influenced by disease experience.
• The CRTG group showed significantly higher perception of personal control post-intervention compared to the PIG group (p=0.039).
• No significant differences were observed in other IPQ-R dimensions between groups.

Conclusions:

• Illness perceptions in Parkinson's disease patients are generally stable but personal control can be modulated.
• Cognitive restructuring before STN-DBS may empower patients by enhancing their sense of control.
• Pre-operative assessment and intervention on illness perceptions could optimize the perceived benefits of deep brain stimulation surgery.