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Chronic Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease: Optimal Frequency for Gait Depends on Stimulation Site and Axial Symptoms

Di Giulio, I; Kalliolia, E; Georgiev, D; Peters, AL; Voyce, DC; Akraml, H; Foltynie, T; ... Day, BL; + view all (2019) Chronic Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease: Optimal Frequency for Gait Depends on Stimulation Site and Axial Symptoms. Frontiers in Neurology , 10 , Article 29. 10.3389/fneur.2019.00029. Green open access

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Abstract

Axial symptoms emerge in a significant proportion of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) within 5 years of deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Lowering the stimulation frequency may reduce these symptoms. The objectives of the current study were to establish the relationship between gait performance and STN-DBS frequency in chronically stimulated patients with PD, and to identify factors underlying variability in this relationship. Twenty-four patients treated chronically with STN-DBS (>4 years) were studied off-medication. The effect of stimulation frequency (40–140 Hz, 20 Hz-steps, constant energy) on gait was assessed in 6 sessions spread over 1 day. Half of the trials/session involved walking through a narrow doorway. The influence of stimulation voltage was investigated separately in 10 patients. Gait was measured using 3D motion capture and axial symptoms severity was assessed clinically. A novel statistical method established the optimal frequency(ies) for each patient by operating on frequency-tuning curves for multiple gait parameters. Narrowly-tuned optimal frequencies (20 Hz bandwidth) were found in 79% of patients. Frequency change produced a larger effect on gait performance than voltage change. Optimal frequency varied between patients (between 60 and 140 Hz). Contact site in the right STN and severity of axial symptoms were independent predictors of optimal frequency (P = 0.009), with lower frequencies associated with more dorsal contacts and worse axial symptoms. We conclude that gait performance is sensitive to small changes in STN-DBS frequency. The optimal frequency varies considerably between patients and is associated with electrode contact site and severity of axial symptoms. Between-subject variability of optimal frequency may stem from variable pathology outside the basal ganglia.

Type: Article
Title: Chronic Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease: Optimal Frequency for Gait Depends on Stimulation Site and Axial Symptoms
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00029
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00029
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2019 Di Giulio, Kalliolia, Georgiev, Peters, Voyce, Akram, Foltynie, Limousin and Day. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Keywords: parkinson’s disease, gait, deep brain stimulation, subthalamic nucleus, axial symptoms
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Clinical and Movement Neurosciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10068991
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