Subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson disease: with or without anesthesia?
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of general anesthesia on the postoperative outcome of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who underwent surgery using bilateral placement of stimulating electrodes within the subthalamic nucleus (STN).


METHODS
Retrospective analysis.


METHODS
Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.


METHODS
Fifteen PD patients who underwent bilateral implantation of electrodes within the STN received general anesthesia because of severe anxiety, poorly tolerated off-period dystonia, or respiratory difficulties. These patients were compared with 15 patients matched for age, disease duration, and parkinsonian motor disability who underwent the same neurosurgical procedure under local anesthesia.


METHODS
Motor disability scores.


RESULTS
After surgery, the severity of parkinsonian motor disability was markedly improved in both groups of patients. Compared with patients who were under local anesthesia during the operation, the residual parkinsonian motor score under stimulation (with ["on"] or without ["off"] levodopa) and the intensity of stimulation were higher in patients who were under general anesthesia during the operation.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the improvement of parkinsonian motor disability is greater in PD patients who receive local anesthesia during surgery, general anesthesia can be performed in patients unable to tolerate prolonged states without levodopa.
Maltête
David
D
Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Fédération de Neurologie, and INSERM U 289, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Navarro
Soledad
S
Welter
Marie-Laure
ML
Roche
Sabine
S
Bonnet
Anne-Marie
AM
Houeto
Jean-Luc
JL
Mesnage
Valérie
V
Pidoux
Bernard
B
Dormont
Didier
D
Cornu
Philippe
P
Agid
Yves
Y
D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa