Effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation and medication on parkinsonian XXXX .

@entity1 @entity66 @entity73 @entity191 @entity5048 @entity400 @entity717 @entity4653
This study aimed to assess quantitatively the effect of bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation and medication on @entity5048 parkinsonian @entity4653 . Twelve Italian @entity1 (11 males and 1 female) with @entity191 (mean age 60.29+/-7.50 years) and bilateral STN implantation were studied. Neurological assessments and acoustic recordings were performed in four clinical conditions combining stimulation and medication to assess the degree of @entity717 and @entity73 . Acoustic analysis was performed by means of the Multidimensional Voice Program and the Advanced Motor Speech Profile (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ). None of the evaluated parameters deteriorated after STN deep brain stimulation. STN stimulation significantly improved motor performances and vocal @entity400 and provided a major stability to glottal vibration. Effect of stimulation on these parameters was superior to that of levodopa. No significant variations were observed in perceptual evaluation and in acoustic parameters related to prosody, articulation, and intensity after either stimulation or medication. The improvement of acoustic parameters related to glottal vibration and voice @entity400 was not accompanied by a substantial effect on speech intelligibility. STN stimulation was more effective on @entity66 than on @entity4653 , but we did not report negative consequences on speech.
