Why DBS?
Many other treatments such as neuroablation, transplantation, and pharmacological therapy have been used to treat PD symptoms. During the 1950s and 1960s, surgical brain lesions had been commonly used to treat PD. And, it was rarely succeeded and had unacceptable side effects. Although the pharmacological therapy is the common treatment for PD, it is unsatisfactory for the long term [3]. However, unlike other surgical treatments, DBS does not damage healthy brain tissues since it does not destroy nerve cells [1]. Moreover, it is satisfactory in long term even though battery of the device has to be replaced. In fact, the recent research shows that DBS in subthalamic nucleus (STN) is associated with a low cognitive and behavioral morbidity over a 5-year follow-up [4]. Although verbal fluency was decreased 5 years after implantation of DBS in STN, it does not have meaningful impact on daily living activities for PD patients [4]. It represents that DBS is effective and safe treatment for PD.
