Motor cortex stimulation: mild transient benefit in a primate model of Parkinson disease.
OBJECTIVE
The authors sought to examine the therapeutic efficacy of motor cortex stimulation (MCS) in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated macaques and to characterize therapeutic differences with varying modes, frequencies, and durations of stimulation.


METHODS
Motor cortex stimulation was delivered at currents below motor threshold and at frequencies between 5 and 150 Hz through epidural electrodes over the primary motor cortex. The animals were studied during and without MCS using video analysis, activity logging, and food retrieval tasks. Animals were examined using two different stimulation protocols. The first protocol consisted of 1 hour of MCS therapy daily. The second protocol exposed the animal to continuous MCS for more than 24 hours with at least 2 weeks between MCS treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily MCS yielded no consistent change in symptoms, but MCS at 2-week intervals resulted in significant increases in activity. Effects of biweekly MCS disappeared, however, within 24 hours of the onset of continuous MCS. In this study, MCS only temporarily reduced the severity of MPTP-induced parkinsonism.
Wu
Alex K
AK
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
McCairn
Kevin W
KW
Zada
Gabriel
G
Wu
Tiffany
T
Turner
Robert S
RS
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D009044:Motor Cortex; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013997:Time Factors