Similar Long‐Term Clinical Outcomes of Deep Brain Stimulation With Different Electrode Targets for Primary Meige Syndrome: One Institution's Experience of 17 Cases

Objective Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is considered an effective and safe treatment for patients with primary Meige syndrome (MS). Both the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus pars internus (Gpi) have been shown to be optional targets for electrode implantation to improve clinical symptoms, but the relationship between clinical outcomes and target is still unclear. The current study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of DBS with different electrode targets for primary MS. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective study to assess the clinical outcomes for 17 consecutive patients with primary MS in Wuhan Union Hospital from January 2016 to September 2019. Six patients were treated by Gpi‐DBS and 11 patients were treated by STN‐DBS. All patients were assessed before surgery and at the last follow‐up after surgery. The Burke‐Fahn‐Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) including the movement and disability scales was used to evaluate the dystonia severity of the eyes, the mouth, speech, and swallowing. The median follow‐up duration was 30.1 ± 13.1 months (range 6 months–52 months). Results In our study, DBS improved the BFMDRS‐M scores by 70.52 ± 7.45% and the BFMDRS‐D scores by 70.51 ± 8.38% for patients with MS. STN‐DBS and Gpi‐DBS had similar effects not only on the BFMDRS‐M and BFMDRS‐D scores, but also on the subitems including eyes, mouth, speech, and swallowing. The stimulation voltage for the Gpi was significantly higher than that for the STN. The improvements were similar in the general anesthesia and local anesthesia groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion The curative effects of STN‐DBS and Gpi‐DBS on patients with primary MS are similar. Both the STN and Gpi could be effective targets of DBS for primary MS.