title: Effects of chronic alcohol consumption on long-term outcomes of thalamic deep brain stimulation for essential tremor.
abstract: The prevalence of essential tremor (ET) is about 4% above 40years of age. Chronic alcohol consumption is present in around 20% of patients with ET. Our objective was to identify whether chronic alcohol consumption was associated with a negative effect on tremor outcome after thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) in ET patients. We conducted a retrospective chart review, from January 2005 to December 2012, from which 23 patients who had ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim)-DBS surgery for ET were identified. Seven patients had a positive history of chronic alcohol consumption. We defined as chronic alcohol users those patients with a habit of drinking alcohol every day in order to suppress tremor. In the overall group of 23 patients, there was a reduction in the median tremor score from 8 pre-operatively, to 1 post-operatively (p<0.0001). The alcohol consumers group experienced a reduction in the median tremor score from 6 pre-operatively to 0 post-operatively (p=0.03). The non-alcohol consumers group had a reduction in the median tremor score from 8 pre-operatively to 1.7 post-operatively (p<0.0001). Both groups of patients experienced significant benefit from thalamic DBS. A larger study may reveal statistically significant differences between subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA. Electronic address: daniloncr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA.
authors.forename: Caio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matias
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurological Restoration, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44124, USA.
authors.forename: Darlene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lobel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus
keywords: Alcohol consumption; Deep brain stimulation; Essential tremor