Who is a good candidate for Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Parkinson's Disease
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
In the clinic I often get asked the question "Who is a good candidate for Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery?" As Parkinson’s Disease worsens with time, the patient may notice that the benefit from the medicine doesn’t last until the next dose, this is called “wearing off”. When the medication wears off, symptoms including tremors, sluggishness, and difficulty walking may return. When the medication is taken again the symptoms improve and the good period is called an “ON” period while the bad period is called “OFF”. Patients may also develop involuntary movements (twisting and turning) called dyskinesias usually as a side effect of increased doses of these medications, which may be troublesome.
DBS may be an option when a PD patient continues to benefit from treatment but still experiences terrible OFF periods and/or troublesome dyskinesias, despite modifications in drug doses. Patients with severe memory issues, hallucinations, severe depression, and noticeable instability/imbalance when walking even when ON may not be good candidates.
Any patient with Parkinson's Disease who fulfils the following criteria can be offered DBS Surgery.
Parkinson's Disease for more than four years.
Symptoms responsive to Levodopa - carbidopa (Syndopa / LCD / Sinamet / Syncapone)
Experience severe tremors and dyskinesias (involuntary movements of the face, arms, legs, or trunk) or significant motor fluctuations
Encounter intense motor fluctuations that cannot be managed by altering medication schedules
Frequently encounter notable dyskinesias mixed with rapid wearing off and off-time crises during the day
No major gait issues in the ON Phase.
No balance problems
No cognitive issues
Have a good support network of family and friends who can be involved in learning about the DBS system and process
Symptoms that respond well to DBS include:
Tremor
Stiffness
Bradykinesia (slowness of movement)
Dystonia (sustained or repetitive muscle twisting, spasm or cramp
Dyskinesia
Reasons why someone may not be an ideal candidate for DBS include:
Not having typical Parkinson's
Not responding well to levodopa
Has severe dementia, apathy, depression, poor health and poor family support.
Not all individuals are suitable candidates for this surgery. It's crucial to understand that certain Parkinson's symptoms respond effectively to DBS, while others do not. The choice to proceed with surgery relies on a careful evaluation of each person's particular symptoms.
My 68 year old Husband who suffered from muscle tiredness brought on by chronic fatigue in its early stages. Neurologists first had difficulty diagnosing it until multiple examinations indicated MSA, for which there was no known cure other than the prescription of levodopa medications, vitamins, and therapies. More advancements in breathing difficulties, before we made the decision to try different medications, which significantly enhanced his condition. He received MSA-5 treatment for MSA at Limitlessnaturalwellness.com from the U.S approximately four months ago; since then, he sleeps well, works out frequently, and has become very active. it has improved his quality of life. .