Dexmedetomidine on Basal Ganglia Neuronal Activity in Parkinson's Disease

The implantation of a deep brain stimulator (DBS) is an established option to improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients that do not respond adequately to medical therapy. Most centers perform this surgery using a technique that involves microelectrode recording (MER) of neuronal activity for localization of the target nucleus, microstimulation of identified targets, and neurological intraoperative testing in a cooperative patient. Dexmedetomidine, a α2-adrenergic receptors agonist, is a potent anxiolytic that acts at subcortical areas of the brain without involving GABA receptors. It provides excellent sedation without respiratory depression; also, it has an analgesic component and a predictable hemodynamic response. Low maintenance doses do not appear to interfere with MER. The possible effect of dexmedetomidine in the PD symptoms is still unclear.