title: Rapid battery depletion and loss of therapy due to a short circuit in bipolar DBS for essential tremor.
abstract: Technical dysfunctions have been reported reducing efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Here, we report on an essential-tremor patient in whom a short circuit in bipolar DBS resulted not only in unilateral loss of therapy but also in high current flow and thereby rapid decline of the impulse-generator battery voltage from 2.83 V a week before the event to 2.54 V, indicating the need for an impulse-generator replacement. Immediate re-programming restored therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, the reduction in current flow allowed the battery voltage to recover without immediate surgical intervention to 2.81 V a week later.
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 Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50924, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael Thomas
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Barbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50924, Köln, Germany.|Department of Neurology, University Hospital Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Timmermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Medical Center and Medical Faculty, Freiburg University, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker Arnd
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Coenen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004868:Equipment Failure; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Deep brain stimulation; Electrode dysfunction; Essential tremor; Short circuit