Propensity-matched multicenter comparison of Parkinson’s disease outcomes with and without deep brain stimulation

Subthalamic deep brain stimulation is established for Parkinson's disease, reducing funding for randomized trials and necessitating complementary approaches to assess outcomes in broader clinical contexts. Using publicly available multicenter data, we compared propensity-matched patients with and without stimulation. The intervention was associated with improved mid-term patient-reported motor and non-motor experiences of daily living, while ongoing follow-up will clarify long-term effects. This demonstrates feasibility of matched comparisons in open observational cohorts.