Parkinson's disease participant-led research on the impact of deep brain stimulation frequency.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease symptoms, including gait disturbances and speech impairment, substantially impact quality of life. This n-of-1 study examined the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) frequency on a 54-year-old man with Parkinson's disease. The participant conceived and led the study, embedding patient insight within the project design and execution. The impacts of three DBS frequencies were assessed using markerless motion capture for gait, voice recording for speech analysis, and Kinarm robotic tasks of upper limb coordination and cognitive assessment. The study found that DBS frequency has a clinically significant impact on multiple symptoms, including gait, rigidity, speech and cognitive-motor ability.