title: Thalamic deep brain stimulation in the treatment of essential tremor: a long-term follow-up.
abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus ventralis intermedius thalami (Vim) in the treatment of essential tremor (ET) is well documented concerning the acute effects. Reports of the long-term effects are, however, few and the aim of the present study was to analyse the long-term efficacy of this treatment. Nineteen patients operated with unilateral Vim-DBS were evaluated with the Essential Tremor Rating Scale (ETRS) before surgery, and after a mean time of 1 and 7 years after surgery. The ETRS score for tremor of the contralateral hand was reduced from 6.8 at baseline to 1.2 and 2.7, respectively, on stimulation at follow-up. For hand function (item 11 - 14) the score was reduced from 12.7 to 4.1 and 8.2, respectively. Vim-DBS is an efficient treatment for ET, also after many years of treatment. There is, however, a decreasing effect over time, most noticeable concerning tremor of action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden. patric.blomstedt@neuro.umu.se
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blomstedt
authors.forename: G-M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hariz
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hariz
authors.forename: L-O D
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Koskinen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus; D016896:Treatment Outcome