Parkinson's disease participant-led research: Towards neuroimaging-assisted deep brain stimulation programming

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can improve Parkinson's disease symptoms; however, its effectiveness depends on selecting optimal settings. DBS parameter selection can be challenging, as objective metrics to guide the process are lacking. This n-of-1 study explored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to guide DBS programming. Led by the participant, the study embedded a patient perspective at the center of the project. Multiple DBS settings were tested, and their effects on gait and cortical functional connectivity were measured. The DBS program that best supported gait had the lowest functional connectivity with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as seed. This suggests fNIRS may be used to guide individual optimization of DBS treatment.