Quality of Life and Depressive Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease After Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

AIM: To assess the correlation between quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms and motor signs in patients with Parkinson disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS STN). MATERIAL and METHODS: 74 patients, average age 55.6 +/- 7 and duration of disease 12.3 years +/- 3.8, treated with I SIN DBS for PD were included in the study. All patients were evaluated with (UPDRS III), (PDQ-39) (BDI) at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24-month follow up. All patients were also stratified into three groups depending on UPDRS III improvement (<30%, 30-60%, >60%). RESULTS: Scores in all scales significantly decreased from baseline. The improvement in PDQ-39 was 43.3%, in BDI 25.3 %; UPDRS-III 55.5% at 6 months. At 24 months, motor results and QoL deteriorated by 15.6% and 19.6% respectively. BDI remained unchanged. Mean scores at baseline in PDQ-39 were group I 67.4 +/- 29.7; II 64.8 +/- 32.0; III 53.4 +/- 22.0 and for BDI, group I 17.4 +/- 12.04; II 14.0 +/- 9.7; III- 15.1 +/- 10.55. Scores decreased significantly with DBS at 6-month follow-up and mean change was: PDQ-39, group I 42.7%, II-40.7%, III 51.6%; BDI group I 23%, II 28.1%, III 23.3 %. CONCLUSION: Reduction of depressive symptoms, motor signs and improvement of QoL in PD after DBS STN are closely related. Improvement of QoL depends significantly on motor symptoms.