What is it about?
Deep brain stimulation is an effective surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but many patients who could benefit from it are referred too late or never considered at all. This perspective review discusses how lack of patient education, misconceptions, and poor communication contribute to these delays. We highlight how structured, clear, and early education can help patients understand DBS, make informed decisions, and set realistic expectations. Improving education may increase access to DBS and lead to better postoperative outcomes and patient satisfaction.
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Why is it important?
Delayed or missed access to deep brain stimulation can significantly reduce its potential benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease. By focusing on patient education as a modifiable factor, this work identifies a practical and low-cost strategy to improve equity of access, optimize timing of surgery, and enhance postoperative outcomes. The findings are relevant for clinicians, multidisciplinary teams, and healthcare systems aiming to improve real-world DBS care.
Perspectives
Patient education should be considered a core component of the DBS pathway rather than an optional add-on. Future research should test standardized educational interventions and measure their impact on referral timing, decision-making quality, and long-term outcomes. Integrating education into multidisciplinary DBS programs may represent one of the most efficient ways to improve care without increasing procedural risk or cost.
Simone Laguardia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Improving Access to Deep Brain Stimulation and Postoperative Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease through Patient Education: A Perspective Review, Brain Science Advances, October 2025, Tsinghua University Press,
DOI: 10.26599/bsa.2025.905006.
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