title: Arachnophobia alleviated by subthalamic nucleus stimulation for Parkinson's disease.
abstract: We report on a Parkinson patient with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in whom deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) not only improved motor symptoms but also pre-existing arachnophobia. Arachnophobia had been unchanged by the course of Parkinson's disease but rapidly improved with STN-DBS. Both, motor effects and the improvement of arachnophobia were stable during 2 years follow-up. To our knowledge this is the first report on STN stimulation effects on a specific phobia.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation Center Godeshoehe, Waldstrasse 2-10, 53177, Bonn, Germany. allert@godeshoehe.de.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Allert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bonn University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabrina M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gippert
authors.affiliation: Stereotaxy and MR-based OR Techniques/Department of Neurosurgery, Bonn University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.|Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Freiburg University Medical Center, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Bastian E A
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sajonz
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation Center Godeshoehe, Waldstrasse 2-10, 53177, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelles
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bonn University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bewernick
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bonn University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schlaepfer
authors.affiliation: Stereotaxy and MR-based OR Techniques/Department of Neurosurgery, Bonn University Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105, Bonn, Germany.|Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Freiburg University Medical Center, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Coenen
mesh_terms: D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus
keywords: Arachnophobia; Deep brain stimulation; Medial forebrain bundle; Parkinson; Specific phobia; Subthalamic nucleus