Deep Brain Stimulation Side Effects

Patients with Deep brain stimulation may experience following side effects most of these can be treated by choosing proper combination of current and electrode contact points.

1. Patient may experience paresthesia. It may be limited to one extremity or face, which is called 'limited paresthesia' or sometimes on the whole half of the body contralateral to the side of the DBS lead placement.
2. Patient may experience tonic muscle contraction when stimulation current spreads laterally to affect the corticospinal tract in the internal capsule.
3. Thalamic stimulation can affect speech and language.
4. Patient may experience paresthesia over the stimulator (IPG) site. This is most likely to occur when IPG case is positive.
5. Patient may experience muscle contraction beneath the stimulator site. This can be avoided by properly positioning the IPG during implantation.
6. Patient may experience double vision when the stimulator current spreads medially to affect the occulomotor nerve complex.
7. Patient may experience vertigo, nausea and strange feelings. This is thought to occur when stimulation current spreads medially or superiorly to affect the hypothalamus.
8. Patient may experience alterations in mood when stimulation current spreads caudally to affect the limbic portion of the subthalamic nucleus.
9. Patient may experience dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements). The most likely reason for this is the synergistic effects of deep brain stimulation and anti-Parkinson's disease medications.
10. Patient may experience an ataxic gate and it is thought to occur because of spread of current to affect the pathway from cerebellum to motor cortex.