Dorsal subthalamic deep brain stimulation improves pain in Parkinson's disease

Inconsistent effects of subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) on pain, a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), may be due to variations in active contact location relative to some pain-reducing locus of stimulation. This study models and compares the loci of maximal effect for pain reduction and motor improvement in STN DBS.

We measured Movement Disorder Society Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part I pain score (item-9), and MDS-UPDRS Part III motor score, preoperatively and 6-12 months after STN DBS. An ordinary least-squares regression model was used to examine active contact location as a predictor of follow-up pain score while controlling for baseline pain, age, dopaminergic medication, and motor improvement. An atlas-independent isotropic electric field model was applied to distinguish sites of maximally effective stimulation for pain and motor improvement.

In 74 PD patients, mean pain score significantly improved after STN DBS (p = 0.01). In a regression model, more dorsal active contact location was the only significant predictor of pain improvement (R² = 0.17, p = 0.03). The stimulation locus for maximal pain improvement was lateral, anterior, and dorsal to that for maximal motor improvement.

STN stimulation, dorsal to the site of optimal motor improvement, improves pain. This region contains the zona incerta, which is known to modulate pain in humans, and may explain this observation.