Right-Sided DBS: Effective Parkinson’s Treatment Without Speech Loss

A recent study has found that stimulating the right side of the brain with deep brain stimulation (DBS) helps improve movement problems in Parkinson’s disease without significantly affecting speech abilities, specifically word retrieval. In contrast, stimulating the left side of the brain was linked to more noticeable declines in speech. The findings suggest that using DBS on just one side of the brain (unilateral DBS), rather than both sides (bilateral DBS), may be a safer option for treating Parkinson’s patients, helping control motor symptoms while preserving cognitive functions like speech. Key Points: Right-side DBS improves movement issues without harming speech. Left-side DBS may lead to speech declines. Unilateral DBS could be a less risky alternative to bilateral DBS. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) found that stimulating the left side of the brain during DBS surgery led to more speech issues. However, stimulating the right side not only improved movement but also slightly improved verbal fluency. DBS is a common treatment for Parkinson’s, typically done on both sides of the brain, but this study suggests that stimulating only the most affected side might be more effective and cause fewer cognitive side effects. The study is part of the National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Initiative and highlights a less invasive DBS approach that could benefit Parkinson’s patients by avoiding declines in speech and other cognitive functions. Researchers are planning to expand on these findings with further studies.