Early Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) causes progressive motor and non-motor disability. Although pharmacotherapy is first-line, responses diminish over time. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively treats advanced PD, and recent data suggest benefits when applied earlier. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review studies and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials comparing subthalamic DBS plus best medical therapy (BMT) with BMT alone in early PD. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA, with a protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251014105). MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (2002-2025) were searched for studies comparing early DBS with BMT in "early" PD. "Early" was variably defined, commonly disease duration 4-8 years or onset of motor complications without significant disability. We included RCTs, secondary analyses, observational studies, and unpublished trials; meta-analyses were restricted to randomized comparisons of early DBS plus BMT versus BMT alone. RESULTS: Studies included younger patients with ≤8 years' PD duration and early motor complications. Pooled RCT data showed a consistent quality-of-life benefit, while motor and medication outcomes directionally favored early STN-DBS but remained heterogeneous and imprecise. Studies suggest safety is broadly comparable to standard-indication DBS. CONCLUSIONS: Offering DBS before advanced disability-particularly in patients <60 years, <10 years from diagnosis, Hoehn-Yahr stage ≤3, early motor complications, and no dementia-may help delay loss of quality of life versus BMT alone. Given few trials and substantial heterogeneity, further large-scale randomized studies are needed to confirm safety, define optimal timing in early PD, and clarify which subgroups benefit most.