Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Treatment Report

Category: Equipment

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What is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)?

An example of 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 & Perceived Effectiveness

Reasons and Perceived effectiveness
Perceived Effectiveness
Purpose # of patients # of patients with evaluations
Major
Moderate
Slight
None
Can’t tell
Parkinson's Disease 189 55 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
Tremor(s) 6 3 Efficacy_major
Dystonia 5 2 Efficacy_major Efficacy_moderate
Improve mobility 4 2 Efficacy_major

See all 132 patients currently using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

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Reported Side Effects

Side effects as an overall problem

Severe
 3
Moderate
 10
Mild
 26
None
 31

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

Hospitalization 33
Weight gain 5
Balance problems 4
Depressed mood 4
Pain in shoulders 3
Speech problems 3
See all 60 reported side effects ▼ See top 6 reported side effects ▲

Reported Stop Reasons

Why Patients Stopped Using (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Not indicated 89   Not indicated: 95%
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 94 patients who’ve stopped using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

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

How Long Current Patients Have Been Using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

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

How Long Patients Used Before Stopping

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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
 61 87%
Usually
 3 4%
Sometimes
 3 4%
Never
 3 4%

Burden

Difficulty being on treatment

Burden of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Very
 4 6%
Somewhat
 10 14%
A little
 15 21%
Not at all
 41 59%

Cost

Paid out of pocket

Cost of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

$200+
 9 26%
$100-199
 0 0%
$50-99
 0 0%
$25-49
 3 9%
< $25
 23 66%

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18 patient evaluations for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Purpose: Parkinson's Disease (Started May 10, 2011)
Date Dosage Perceived effectiveness Side Effects Adherence Burden
Oct 27, 2012 One time Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Major ModerateModerateModerateModerateModerate AlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlways Not at allNot at allNot at allNot at allNot at all
Date
Oct 27, 2012
Advice & Tips
DO IT!!! Find an excellent Movement Disorder Specialist go through all the evaluation process and get the implants. It will change your life. Very little and mostly no shaking any more. I am completely off the medications (I insisted). I can now sleep again (that is the best benefit) although my body is still trying to catch up for all the nights that I only got 2~3 hours sleep.
  • Icon_thumb_off 0 helpful marks
Purpose: Parkinson's Disease (Started Mar 01, 2012)
Date Dosage Perceived effectiveness Side Effects Adherence Burden
Mar 01, 2012 One time ?Can't tell NoneNoneNoneNoneNone NeverNeverNeverNeverNever Not at allNot at allNot at allNot at allNot at all
Date
Mar 01, 2012
Advice & Tips
I just had the surgery a little over a month. The Honeymoon only lasted a week for me. I get the DBS turned on and first programming on April 19, 2012. I can't wait.
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Purposes: Parkinson's Disease and Dystonia (Started Jun 28, 2010)
Date Dosage Parkinson's Disease Perceived effectiveness Dystonia Perceived effectiveness Side Effects Adherence Burden
Jan 12, 2012 One time Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Major Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Led_efficacy_4Major NoneNoneNoneNoneNone AlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlways Not at allNot at allNot at allNot at allNot at all
Nov 18, 2010 One time ?Can't tell ?Can't tell MildMildMildMildMild AlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlwaysAlways Not at allNot at allNot at allNot at allNot at all
Side effects:
Dizziness, Neck and Shoulder muscle soreness
Date
Jan 12, 2012
Advice & Tips
My DBS Neurostimulator FINALLY kicked in after close to one year of monthly programming visits to the DBS clinic at Robert Wood Johnson medical center. I am doing MUCH better now. I have not reduced my meds but that's OK. It has brought me back to life and some days I almost feel like my old self.
Cost
$25-49 monthly
Date
Nov 18, 2010
Advice & Tips
AS OF 11/2010: Right now I am in the middle of programming sessions for the IPG battery in my chest. I go once a month to a "DBS clinic" Robert Wood Johnsohn Medical Center in New Brunswick NJ, USA. I see the DBS programmer and a neurologist. Even though I only have PD on my left side, it is quite severe. Unfortunately, the neuro has INCREASED my meds and the DBS programming has been very very slow - each time I get the voltage increased the PD seems to "compensate" It has been 5 months since the surgery and so far the benefits have been minimal. One unexpected positive effect has been reduced sense of bladder urgency. The surgery itself was not bad since they only had to install the wire lead on the right side of my brain.
  • Icon_thumb_off 0 helpful marks
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