title: Deep brain stimulation for Tourette syndrome: a prospective pilot study in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) disturbs the social life of patients. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has recently been applied to relieve severe tics. We report a prospective open-labeled case series of DBS for TS as a pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients (19-21 years old, one male) with refractory TS were treated with DBS. They were targeted at the centromedian-parafascicular complex-ventral oral thalamic nuclei of the bilateral thalami.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores for the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale decreased from 42.7 ± 2.7 (before DBS) to 26.0 ± 1.7 (one year after DBS) (means ± standard error of means). Intelligence levels of the patients showed no change after surgery. There was no morbidity or mortality. All patients presented an increase in satisfaction with activities of daily living.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the safety and efficacy of thalamic DBS for TS.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan. kaido@ncnp.go.jp
authors: Takanobu
authors: T
authors: Kaido
authors: Taisuke
authors: T
authors: Otsuki
authors: Yuu
authors: Y
authors: Kaneko
authors: Akio
authors: A
authors: Takahashi
authors: Mayu
authors: M
authors: Omori
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Okamoto
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D020323:Tics / Q000628:therapy*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult