Patients with Parkinson's disease may benefit from additional corrective surgery following the unsuccessful implantation of electrodes, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Neurology.

The placement of electrodes to stimulate the subthalamic nucleus of the brain in Parkinson's patients has been found to be effective in reducing medication dosage and improving symptoms of the disease.

Figures show that the treatment can cut medication doses by 50 per cent and improve motor function by approximately 40 per cent.

All but one of the patients tested for the study showed improvement after the second surgical treatment - without medication, motor scores rose by 26.7 per cent following the initial surgery and 59.4 per cent after the re-implantation procedure.

Dr Mathieu Anheim, of the University Hospital A Michallon, Strasbourg, France, and colleagues explained: "Although appropriate patient selection is important for the desired surgical outcome, the key to marked improvement following subthalamic nucleus stimulation is optimal surgical technique for precise implantation of stimulation electrodes in the target."

It is estimated that four million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease. Statistically, men are more likely to develop the condition than women.

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