Background: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical technique widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, such as Parkinson’s Disease and dystonias. Dystonias, primary or secondary, have several determining factors, among which we can mention genetic mutations, that, generally, do not respond satisfactorily to drug treatments. The difficult control of dystonias makes its management complex, since they are progressive, and, as a consequence, surgical options are often necessary. Objectives: To identify the impact of the use of DBS on the prognosis of children with primary dystonia. Methods: The present work consists of an integrative literature review, in which a careful search was carried out from databases available on the internet, such as Google Scholar, MedScape, Scielo and PubMed, using the following keywords combined in pairs: deep brain stimulation, pediatrics and primary dystonia. The research was carried out in English and Portuguese and, at the end, 10 articles published between the years 2017 and 2021 were selected. Results: Through analysis, it was observed that DBS proved to be an excellent therapy, with good results, especially for patients with primary dystonia, who were more susceptible to showing improvements in motor symptoms. Of these patients, those who have a mutation in the DYT1 gene seemed to respond better when it comes to disabling symptoms, as well as those who have known genetic etiologies. Conclusions: Although there is a limited number of studies related to the pediatric population, the use of DBS for dystonias, especially primary ones, seems to be an excellent therapeutic option for patients refractory to drug therapy. In any case, studies aimed at this group are still necessary in order to enrich and support the current evidence.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of primary dystonia of the pediatric population: a review
