Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39808549›Full record

ArticleOperative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.)2025

Planned Surgical Trajectory Affects Clinical Motor Outcome in Deep Brain Stimulation Targeted at Subthalamic Nucleus for Parkinson's Disease.

Laura S Wang, John R Younce, Mikhail Milchenko, Mwiza Ushe, Isabel Alfradique-Dunham, Samer D Tabbal, Joshua L Dowling, Joel S Perlmutter, Scott A Norris

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Operative neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Laura S WangDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis , Missouri , USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9883-5812
John R YounceDepartment of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill , North Carolina , USA.
Mikhail MilchenkoDepartment of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Mwiza UsheDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis , Missouri , USA.
Isabel Alfradique-DunhamDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis , Missouri , USA.
Samer D TabbalDepartment of Neurology, Penn State University, Hershey , Pennsylvania , USA.
Joshua L DowlingDepartment of Neurosurgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Joel S PerlmutterDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis , Missouri , USA.
Scott A NorrisDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis , Missouri , USA.

Funding

The Role of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons in DystoniaR01NS124789 · NINDS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Scott Allen Norris · 2022 to 2026
$3.0M
Prediction of outcomes for deep brain stimulation using multimodal MRIK23NS121630 · NINDS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI John Robert Younce · 2022 to 2026
$907k
NIH HHS NIH NS121630NIH HHS NIH NS124789NINDS NIH HHS K23 NS121630NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS124789
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesSurgical planning is critical to achieve optimal outcome in deep brain stimulation (DBS). The relationship between clinical outcomes and DBS electrode position relative to subthalamic nucleus (STN) is well investigated, but the role of surgical trajectory remains unclear. We sought to determine whether preoperatively planned DBS lead trajectory relates to adequate motor outcome in STN-DBS for Parkinson's disease (PD).

methodsIn 49 participants who underwent bilateral STN-DBS for PD using a Leksell® frame, we coregistered the frame and participant MRI images to obtain participant-specific anatomical planes. We evaluated relationships between clinical data and planned trajectories relative to their midsagittal and axial planes. We computed percent change in Unified PD Rating Scale subsection 3 (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III) scores before and after DBS, and performed binary logistic regression to determine whether planned trajectories affect adequate (>30% Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III improvement) motor outcome.

resultsPreoperatively planned left lead trajectory relative to midsagittal plane predicted likelihood of adequate right body motor outcomes (odds ratio = 0.69, P = .024), even when controlling for ventricular width through Evans index. This effect reflects that increasingly lateral angle of approach reduced odds of adequate motor outcome. Right lead trajectory lacked a similar trend.

conclusionLeft DBS lead trajectory predicts adequate right-body motor outcome after bilateral STN-DBS. Greater planned trajectory angle relative to midsagittal plane reduces motor outcomes, independent of patients' ventricular width. These data may guide patient selection, inform risk/benefit discussions, optimize surgical planning, or support evidence-based evaluation of the methodologies used to select the approach trajectory, with careful consideration of the angle of approach relative to target.

Indexed as

Deep Brain StimulationNeurosurgical ProceduresParkinson DiseaseSubthalamic NucleusAgedFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeDeep brain stimulationParkinson's diseaseStereotactic technique

Identifiers

PMID39808549
PMCPMC12245231

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.