title: Evidence that ventrolateral thalamotomy may eliminate the supraspinal component of both pathological and physiological tremors.
abstract: Ventrolateral (VL) thalamotomy produced a marked reduction of oscillations related to the supraspinal components of Parkinson's disease tremor (4-7 Hz) and physiological tremor (8-12 Hz). Finger tremor was examined in nine patients undergoing unilateral VL thalamotomy and in nine age-matched controls. In comparison to the preoperative state, the relative percentage of power within the 7.6-12.5 Hz band did not increase after the surgical procedure. Furthermore, the amount of absolute power within the 7.6-12.5 Hz band was much lower for post-surgical patients in comparison to matched controls when periods of tremor having equal amplitudes were compared. These results suggest that VL thalamotomy interrupts a common circuit involved in the supraspinal component of both physiological and pathological tremors. We provide evidence that the thalamus may be involved in circuits generating physiological tremor in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panisset
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sadikot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D010507:Periodicity; D013788:Thalamus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014202:Tremor / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*