This study aimed to determine the effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on anxiety and depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

The clinical data of 57 patients with PD who underwent bilateral STN-DBS between March and December 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. Patient scores on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale-Part III (UPDRS-Ⅲ), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) were evaluated.

Patient evaluations took place preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6-month follow-ups. The average patient improvement rates for HAM-A and HAM-D scores at the 6-month follow-up were 41.7% [interquartile range (IQR) 34.9%] and 37.5% (IQR 33.4%), respectively (both p < 0.001). There were positive correlations between both the rate of improvement in HAM-A scores and the rate of improvement in PDQ-39 scores (r = 0.538, p < 0.001), and between the rate of improvement in HAM-D scores and the rate of improvement in PDQ-39 scores (r = 0.404, p = 0.002) at the 6-month follow-up. HAM-A and HAM-D scores were positively correlated with the Parkinson’s Hoehn-Yahr disease stage (r = 0.296, p = 0.025; and r = 0.380, p = 0.004, respectively).

Bilateral STN-DBS can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression in PD patients.