I am following Kate Kelsall’s lead on this. I am finding this hard to believe as well. Please forward this to your Neurologist, Movement Disorder Specialist, and other professionals you work with.
PARKINSON’S DISEASE NEWS
From Viartis
16th March 2008 – New research
How Many People Are Suitable For DBS Surgery?
Parkinsonism Related Disorders [2007] 13 (8) : 528-531 (Morgante L, Morgante F, Moro E, Epifanio A, Girlanda P, Ragonese P, Antonini A, Barone P, Bonuccelli U, Contarino MF, Capus L, Ceravolo MG, Marconi R, Ceravolo R, D’Amelio M, Savettieri G.)
DBS is a surgical method of treating Parkinson’s Disease that uses electrodes implanted into the brain. For more information, go to Deep Brain Stimulation. Researchers estimated the percentage of people with Parkinson’s Disease that are suitable for subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS). They used the Core Assessment Program for Surgical Intervention Therapies in PD (CAPSIT-PD), which examines patients in a “practically defined off state” after overnight 12-hour drug withdrawal and again in the on state after their usual morning dose of L-dopa. They found that out of 641 Parkinson’s Disease patients only less than 2% fulfilled strict criteria in order to be eligible. When the researchers applied more flexible criteria, the percentage of eligibility increased. Yet the number of those that were eligible was still less than 5%. Most patients – 60% of them – were ineligible because they did not satisfy multiple questionnaire items. Items related to disease severity were responsible for the largest number of those people being excluded from eligibility.
