Medial forebrain bundle stimulation elicits psychotropic side effects in Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for PD – new insights through Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Objective: The quality of life after STN DBS for Parkinson disease (PD) can be negatively influenced by hypomania (4–13%) and depression (20%). However, the anatomical substrate of these effects, typically elicited from medial, inferior and anterior electrode locations, remains unknown. The authors of this study show that an activation of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), as delimited with DTI, could be the cause of these acute psychotropic effects. Methods: Six Patients with advanced PD underwent bilateral STN DBS surgery. Preoperative DTI scans combined with high resolution T1W and T2W sequences, were conduct…