Objective: To assess how (Deep Brain Stimulation) DBS is considered by Italian PD patients.

Background: DBS improves motor symptoms and allows to reduce dopaminergic medications with a significant benefit on patients’ quality of life (Kleiner-Fisman et al 2006). Despite the DBS therapeutic effects, only a fraction of potentially eligible patients are implanted.

Methods: Online self-administered questionnaire was specifically created to assess the knowledge and opinion about DBS in PD patients. The questionnaire was composed of 33 items, 15 about medical history and 18 concerning DBS surgery. The survey was promoted through Italian PD Associations social media or website and different Italian PD referral centers.

Results: 61 PD patients answered to our questionnaire (39 males; aged 40-80 years). 46% of them previously underwent DBS surgery. Overall 88% of patients had a ‘general but non specific’ knowledge of DBS; they were informed by the neurologist (44,3%), internet (14,9%), other patients (13,1%), PD associations (13,1%) and general practitioner (1,6%). In patients not treated with DBS the reasons for not undergoing surgery were:, the lack of satisfactory/specific information about the treatment (51%), DBS was never proposed (36%), lack of inclusion criteria (18%), and fear of surgery (12%).

Conclusions: Though DBS is generally known, not all patients are treated to undergo it, because they do not receive specific information or DBS is not propose, this might explain why referral rates are below what would be expected.

References: Kleiner-Fisman G, Herzog J, Fisman DN, Tamma F, Lyons KE, Pahwa R, Lang AE, Deuschl G (2006) Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation: summary and meta-analysis of outcomes. Mov Disord 21(Suppl 14):S290–S304.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/choice-for-deep-brain-stimulation-in-parkinsons-disease-italian-survey-study/