Effects of Pneumocephalus on Electrode Location After Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson Disease.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the impact of pneumocephalus on electrode positioning following subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in patients with Parkinson disease.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 111 patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and postoperative computed tomography scans were utilized to assess electrode positions and pneumocephalus volume. The brain imaging data were standardized to the Montreal Neurological Institute space for precise comparison. Statistical analyses were performed to identify factors influencing the volume of pneumocephalus.

RESULTS

This study found that pneumocephalus absorption significantly affects electrode positioning, leading to a forward and upward shift. A higher degree of brain atrophy and a higher number of microelectrode recording passages were significantly correlated with increased pneumocephalus volume and more pronounced electrode displacement.

CONCLUSIONS

Pneumocephalus plays a critical role in electrode displacement during STN-DBS surgery. Minimizing cerebrospinal fluid loss and careful planning of microelectrode recording passages are essential for improving surgical accuracy. Further studies with larger sample sizes and multicenter data are needed to validate these findings and increase their generalizability.