Does deep brain stimulation improve Parkinson’s disease-related lower urinary tract symptoms and voiding dysfunction?

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD), caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, leads to motor and autonomic symptoms. A large proportion of PD patients experience lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and voiding dysfunction, associated with poor quality of life. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an adjunctive therapy used in combination with medication for Parkinsonian motor symptoms and is currently being explored to treat PD-related LUTS. This review discusses the current literature on the effects of DBS on lower urinary tract function and whether this modality can be used to modulate PD-related LUTS and voiding dysfunction.