Deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative and chronic disorder that affects the central nervous system. It occurs due to the degeneration of neurons in the ventral layer of the compact part of the substance nigra and the locus ceruleus, for reasons still unknown. As a result, there is a decrease in dopamine, causing the classic manifestations of the disease, mainly motor. Deep Cerebral Stimulation (ECP) is a therapeutic modality that emerged in the 1980s and has achieved quite satisfactory results in the treatment of PD, especially in more advanced cases and / or refractory to drug treatment. Objectives: To analyze the effectiveness of ECP for the treatment of PD. Methodology: This study consists of an integrative review through the selection of eight articles published randomly between 2017 and 2021 on the platforms PubMed and Google Scholar, using the descriptors “Parkinson’s Disease” and “Deep Brain Stimulation” in the English and Portuguese languages. Results: It is seen that the symptoms of PD are related to the reduction of activation of areas such as motor cortex, substance nigra and globe palidum. In this sense, ECP uses the application of constant or intermittent electrical current, of low intensity and high frequency. Such a stimulus is capable of inhibiting the activity of the subthalamic nucleus or pale globe, among other regions, resulting in significant improvement of symptoms. On the other hand, some recent studies have identified a risk, albeit low, of post-procedure movement limitations, deaths from infections and increased suicides. Conclusion: There was an improvement in physical symptoms, as well as a significant decrease in the frequency of dementia, depression and psychological problems, with the ECP being a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of PD.