Background and Objectives: Unilateral Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound subthalamotomy (FUS-STN) has been shown to improve the cardinal motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Whether this effect is sustained is not known. This study aims to report the long-term outcome of PD patients treated with unilateral FUS-STN.
Results: Thirty-two PD patients were evaluated 36 months after treatment. The mean (±SD) age at baseline was 56.0±10.1 years, with a mean disease duration of 6.8±2.8 years. The MDS-UPDRS III score for the treated hemibody off-medication was improved by 52.3% from baseline to 3 years (score reduction from 19.0±3.2 to 8.9±3.3, 95% confidence interval [95CI] 8.7 to 11.6, P<0.001), and all specific motor features were improved from baseline. No disabling or delayed adverse events were reported. The total MDS-UPDRS III off-medication score was 22.9% lower at 3 years than before treatment (36.8±7.4 vs 27.4±6.2, 95CI 6.0 to 11.5, P<0.001). The MDS-UPDRS II, IV, and PDQ39 scores and levodopa dose were equivalent to those at baseline.
Discussion: The benefit of unilateral FUS-STN on PD motor features is sustained in the long term. FUS-STN contributes to better clinical control over several years of evolution. NCT02912871/03454425.
Trial of Globus Pallidus Focused Ultrasound Ablation in Parkinson’s Disease
