title: Subthalamus deep brain stimulation for primary dystonia patients: a long-term follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deep brain stimulation has generated sustained improvement in motor function for patients with dystonia, but the long-term impact of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on dystonia has not been elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with primary dystonia underwent bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation and were evaluated with the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey at baseline and 1 month, 1 year, and 3 to 10 years postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements in motor function according to the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale at 1 month, 1 year, and 3 to 10 years of stimulation were 55%, 77%, and 79%, respectively. The quality of life improved after 1 month of stimulation (P < 0.001), progressed within 1 year (P < 0.001), and then remained stable. Disease duration was negatively correlated with an improvement in motor function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that the subthalamus is an alternative to the globus pallidus internus as a target for deep brain stimulation to treat primary dystonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Dianyou
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shikun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bomin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale; Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey; deep brain stimulation; primary dystonia; subthalamic nucleus