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What is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)?

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical treatment which stimulates the brain with mild electrical signals. DBS is used to treat tremor and other motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. DBS has been applied to the thalamus, subthalamic nucleus and the pallidum areas of the brain.

Reported Purpose & Efficacy

Reasons and Efficacy
Purpose # of patients
# of patients with evaluations Efficacy
Major
Moderate
Slight
None
Can’t tell
Parkinson's Disease 178 51 Efficacy_major Efficacy_moderate Efficacy_slight Efficacy_none Efficacy_cant_tell
Stiffness/Spasticity 16 6 Efficacy_major Efficacy_moderate Efficacy_slight
Dyskinesia 11 5 Efficacy_major
Other 9 3 Efficacy_major Efficacy_moderate
Dystonia 5 2 Efficacy_major Efficacy_moderate
Tremor 5 3 Efficacy_major

See all 125 patients currently having Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

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Reported Side Effects

Side effects as an overall problem

Severe
 3
Moderate
 9
Mild
 22
None
 30

Commonly reported side effects, conditions, and hospitalizations associated with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Hospitalization 18
Weight gain 5
Depressed mood 3
Neck pain 3
Pain in shoulders 3
Mobility decreased 3
See all 48 reported side effects ▼ See top 6 reported side effects ▲

Reported Stop Reasons

Why Patients Stopped Having Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Not indicated 84   Not indicated: 94%
Did not seem to work 4   Did not seem to work: 4%
Side effects too severe 3   Side effects too severe: 3%
Doctor's advice 1   Doctor's advice: 1%
Other 1   Other: 1%
Course of treatment ended 1   Course of treatment ended: 1%

See all 89 patients who’ve stopped having Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Reported Duration See details about how long patients take this treatment ▼

Currently Having Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

A bar graph

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
0
0
0

Stopped Having Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

A bar graph

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
0
0

Reported Adherence, Burden & Cost See details from patient evaluations ▼

Adherence

Taking treatment as prescribed

Adherence of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Always
 55 86%
Usually
 4 6%
Sometimes
 2 3%
Never
 3 5%

Burden

Difficulty being on treatment

Burden of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Very
 4 6%
Somewhat
 9 14%
A little
 12 19%
Not at all
 39 61%

Cost

Paid out of pocket

Cost of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

$200+
 7 21%
$100-199
 0 0%
$50-99
 0 0%
$25-49
 3 9%
< $25
 22 65%

Report created on May 28, 2012.