Does subthalamic stimulation induce personality modifications in Parkinson's disease? A Rorschach Test explorative study

The aim of this study was to investigate personality, by means of the Rorschach Psychodiagnostic test, in a consecutive series of fourteen patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) submitted to bilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (DBS STN). Patients were evaluated pre-operatively and 1 year after surgery. Patients were also assessed for motor disability and cognitive status. All the patients obtained a significant amelioration of motor symptoms and could reduce the dopaminergic treatment after surgery. No cognitive decline was observed comparing the pre- to the post-operative neuropsychological assessment. The comparison between pre- and post-operative Rorschach indexes showed no major modifications of personality structure. The results of the present explorative study suggest that DBS of STN does not result in relevant personality modifications in patients with Parkinson's disease.