Weight changes in Parkinson's disease patients after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation surgery

Bach ground: After Sub-Thalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation (STN-DBS), an effective treatment for Parkinson disease patients, weight gain has been observed. As this method of treatment is only in use since two years in Iran, no information regarding its side effects (including weight gain) existed thus far. Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate the weight gain 1 and 3 months after the DBS surgery. Methods: We enrolled all patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS in Rasool Akram Hospital affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2008- 2009. Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), neuropsychological assessment, pulmonary and cardiac evaluation before the surgery were carried out for all patients. They were weighted before, 1 and 3 months after the STN-DBS. Results: The average weight of patients was 70.7 14.4, 74.1 +/- 16.2 and 76.6 +/- 14.4 Kg before, 1 and 3 months after the STN-DBS, respectively (P < 0.037). Conclusion: Our results confirm that rapid weight gain (as soon as 1 month after surgery) occurred in STN-DBS treated parkinsonian patients.