Objective: To evaluate long-term outcomes and real-world implementation of beta-guided adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), including clinical effects, longitudinal beta dynamics, and patient-specific adaptation patterns.
Background: aDBS adjusts stimulation based on subthalamic beta activity and may improve motor fluctuations and stimulation-related side effects in PD. Our previous study demonstrated short-term feasibility and potential clinical benefits of aDBS in eight PD patients1. However, long-term outcomes and optimal programming strategies remain to be investigated.
Method: 21 PD patients were programmed with beta-guided dual-threshold aDBS targeting the subthalamic nucleus. An initial cohort (n=8) was previously reported, including results from a home-based evaluation comparing aDBS with continuous DBS (cDBS) using ecological momentary assessments1. These patients have now completed a 12-month follow-up. A subsequent cohort (n=13) was programmed in routine clinical care and is currently undergoing longitudinal follow-up. Long-term outcomes include clinical scores, electrophysiological parameters, and the duration of the therapeutic benefit.
Results: In the initial cohort (n=8), overall well-being significantly improved during aDBS compared with cDBS (p=0.007)1. Six patients continued long-term aDBS and showed a stable therapeutic effect for a mean of 7.5 ± 4 months. Across all 21 patients, the major complaints before switching to aDBS were troublesome dyskinesia and peak-dose dystonia. Stable parameter settings required 7.43 ± 3.11 programming visits with a mean amplitude range of 0.71 ± 0.49 mA. Overall, 17/21 patients (81%) opted to continue aDBS after programming, indicating high patient acceptance. Longitudinal observations showed variable adaptation patterns.
Conclusion: Chronic beta-guided aDBS appears feasible in routine clinical care and shows sustained benefit in longitudinal follow-up. This study adds up to our previous work by investigating the long-term effectiveness, patient adherence, and practical improvement of aDBS in PD. High patient acceptance supports further clinical implementation, although optimization of biomarker selection and programming strategies remain critical.
References: 1. Busch JL, Kaplan J, Behnke JK, Witzig VS, Drescher L, Habets JGV, Kühn AA. Chronic adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease: clinical outcomes and programming strategies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2025 Aug 29;11(1):264. doi: 10.1038/s41531-025-01124-7. PMID: 40883328; PMCID: PMC12397205.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
V. Witzig, J. Busch, J. Kaplan, J. Behnke, L. Drescher, J. Habets, A. Kühn. Long-term outcomes and real-world implementation of adaptive deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/long-term-outcomes-and-real-world-implementation-of-adaptive-deep-brain-stimulation-in-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/long-term-outcomes-and-real-world-implementation-of-adaptive-deep-brain-stimulation-in-parkinsons-disease/