title: Long-term suppression of tremor by deep brain stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus combined with pallidotomy in hemiparkinsonian patients.
abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) is a powerful surgical option in the treatment of tremor-predominant Parkinson's disease. However, its therapeutic efficacy depends on the tremor distribution. DBS is highly efficient in relief of distal appendicular tremor but not other types of tremor. Also, it is generally thought that DBS of the VIM has no significant beneficial effects on other motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. We report two hemiparkinsonian patients, in whom unilateral VIM DBS combined with posteroventral pallidotomy produced long-lasting suppression of not only hand tremor, but also leg or jaw tremor and other motor symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Otemae Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Korematsu
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruo
authors.forename: Yukitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020644:Midline Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D053860:Pallidotomy / Q000379:methods*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D014202:Tremor / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*