MDS 2021 | DBS for movement disorders: are we targeting the right regions?

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a widely used treatment for movement disorders, representing the therapeutic strategy of choice for advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, tremor, and complicated segmental and generalized dystonia. Despite its established efficacy in select patients, responses to DBS are heterogenous, with some patients receiving very little benefit. Michael Fox, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, discusses the limitations of currently used DBS targeting techniques to treat movement disorders. Currently, ACPC coordinates are used to provide an approximation of where DBS electrodes should be placed. Dr Fox comments on the need for more precise image-guided electrode placement to optimize outcomes. As well as improving visualization of current target regions, more research into the target regions themselves is needed. This interview took place during the 2021 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.