Anderson, D.G.Van Coller, RiaanCarr, J.2018-03-122018-03-122017-11Anderson, D.G., Van Coller, R. & Carr, J. 2017, 'South African guideline on deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease', South African Medical Journal, vol. 107, no. 11, pp. 1027-1032.0256-9574 (print)2078-5135 (online)10.7196/SAMJ.2017.v107i11.12831http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64211BACKGROUND : Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, associated with severe impairment of quality of life. Although the motor aspects of the illness are typically successfully treated with medications acting on the dopaminergic system, a number of patients encounter progressive difficulties associated with their medical treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS : Carefully selected patients will benefit from deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment for their PD. Selection requires dopamine challenge testing and neuropsychological testing for the presence of cognitive impairment. Careful follow-up and programming of the DBS system are mandatory, and a major reason for DBS failure is inadequate programming and management of medication. CONCLUSION : DBS is a useful component of standard therapy for PD and may reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, promote patient independence and reduce healthcare costs by reducing requirements for medicine.en© 2017, South African Medical Association. All rights reserved. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Works License (CC BY-NC 3.0).Parkinson’s disease (PD)PatientsMedical treatmentDeep brain stimulation (DBS)Health sciences articles SDG-03SDG-03: Good health and well-beingArticle