TOPLINE:
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) is as effective in patients with GBA gene mutation as it is in those without this mutation, offering significantly improved motor and nonmotor symptoms, reduced levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) intake, and decreased impulse control disorders (ICDs) for up to 5 years, a new study found.
METHODOLOGY:
While DBS has been linked with positive outcomes in patients with PD, its efficacy in patients with GBA mutations (GBA-PD) is less clear.
This retrospective, multicenter study included 365 people with PD (mean age 63 years) who underwent mostly bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS between 2005 and 2021 and genetic testing.
Researchers stratified patients into those with a variant of the GBA gene (GBA-PD; 20%) and those without (non-GBA-PD), and classified GBA variants into mild (23.3%) and severe/complex (45.2%).
Investigators measured motor and nonmotor outcomes, including cognitive function, LEDD, ICDs, dyskinesias, depression, recurrent falls, and other outcomes in patients at baseline and at 1, 3, and 5 years post-surgery.
TAKEAWAY:
At 1, 3, and 5 years post-DBS, both groups had marked improvement in motor symptoms, with a significant reduction in dyskinesias, motor fluctuations, and reduced ICDs, less LEDD intake, and low occurrence of complications such as recurrent falls, depression, hallucinations, and urinary dysfunctions.
