Impact of Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation on Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease

Objective. To clarify the efficacy of subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation in young-onset Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared the effects of STN stimulation on the motor symptoms between young-onset PD (YOPD) and late-onset PD (LOPD). Methods. We analyzed the effects of STN stimulation on motor function and motor fluctuations in 15 patients with YOPD, and 113 patients with LOPD who underwent STN stimulation during the same period. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was evaluated during the on-period and off-period, which are defined as the times at which the motor symptoms are the best and worst during the daily active time with sustaining anti-parkinsonian drugs. The dyskinesia severity rating scale (DSRS) also was employed to assess the severity of peak-dose dyskinesia. We analyzed the changes in levodopa equivalent daily dose (LED), motor fluctuations, DSRS, and UPDRS part 3 score after STN stimulation, and compared the changes in each score between the two groups (YOPD vs. LOPD). Results. The LED was reduced, and the on-off motor fluctuation index, dyskinesia rating scale score (on-period), and UPDRS part 3 score (on- and off-periods) were improved in both the YOPD and LOPD groups. The improvement rates of the UPDRS part 3 scores in both the on- and off-periods in the YOPD group were superior to those in the LOPD group. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that YOPD itself is the best responder to STN stimulation. Conclusions. STN stimulation can reduce the LED and improve motor fluctuations in patients with YOPD. The effects of STN stimulation on the motor symptoms of YOPD patients are superior to those in LOPD. The present findings suggest that YOPD patients suffering from several problems related to pharmacological therapy are probably good candidates for STN stimulation.