Management of deep brain stimulator battery failure: battery estimators, charge density, and importance of clinical symptoms

• Published in: PloS one 2013-03, Vol.8 (3), p.e58665-e58665
• Main Authors: Fakhar, Kaihan, Hastings, Erin, Butson, Christopher R, Foote, Kelly D, Zeilman, Pam, Okun, Michael S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Batteries; Biology; Brain; Calculators; Charge density; Deep brain stimulation; Deep Brain Stimulation - instrumentation; Deep Brain Stimulation - methods; Density; Dystonia; Dystonia - therapy; Energy consumption; Engineering; Essential Tremor - therapy; Generators; Group dynamics; Humans; Implantable Neurostimulators - adverse effects; Implantable Neurostimulators - standards; Medical research; Medical treatment; Medicine; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neurosurgery; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Parkinson Disease - therapy; Parkinson's disease; Smart phones; Smartphones; Statistical analysis; Surgery; Tremor; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058665

We aimed in this investigation to study deep brain stimulation (DBS) battery drain with special attention directed toward patient symptoms prior to and following battery replacement. Previously our group developed web-based calculators and smart phone applications to estimate DBS battery life (http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/surgery/dbs-battery-estimator). A cohort of 320 patients undergoing DBS battery replacement from 2002-2012 were included in an IRB approved study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY). The mean charge density for treatment of Parkinson's disease was 7.2 µC/cm(2)/phase (SD = 3.82), for dystonia was 17.5 µC/cm(2)/phase (SD = 8.53), for essential tremor was 8.3 µC/cm(2)/phase (SD = 4.85), and for OCD was 18.0 µC/cm(2)/phase (SD = 4.35). There was a significant relationship between charge density and battery life (r = -.59, p