Are parkin patients particularly suited for deep-brain stimulation?

Ebba Lohmann (1) , Marie-Laure Welter (2, 3) , Valérie Fraix (4) , Paul Krack (4) , Suzanne Lesage (1) , Sophie Laine (1) , Marie-Laure Tanguy (3) , Jean-Luc Houeto (5) , Valérie Mesnage (3) , Pierre Pollak (4, 6) , Alexandra Durr (1, 3) , Yves Agid (1, 2, 3) , Alexis Brice (1, 3, 3) , French Parkinson'S Disease Genetics Study Group

1 Neurologie et thérapeutique expérimentale
2 CIC AP-HP (pitie-Salpetriere)/inserm
3 CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP]
4 Département de neurologie
5 Service de neurologie [Poitiers]
6 Neurosciences précliniques

Patients with parkin mutations are known to have slower PD progression and a better response to levodopa at lower doses than patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. To determine the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on such patients, we have compared the follow-up after surgery of 7 patients with one parkin mutation, 7 patients with two parkin mutations, and 39 patients without parkin mutations. Twelve to 24 months after neurosurgery, the daily doses of levodopa equivalent were significantly lower in patients with two parkin mutations, indicating that these patients benefit from DBS, and they might have more durable results.

Ebba Lohmann, Marie-Laure Welter, Valérie Fraix, Paul Krack, Suzanne Lesage, et al.. Are parkin patients particularly suited for deep-brain stimulation?. Movement Disorders, 2008, 23 (5), pp.740-3. ⟨10.1002/mds.21903⟩. ⟨inserm-00391529⟩