Alleviation of drenching sweats following subthalamic deep brain stimulation in a patient with Parkinson's disease--a case report

J Neurol Sci. 2009 Oct 15;285(1-2):246-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2009.06.019. Epub 2009 Jul 17.

Abstract

We report a patient with Parkinson's disease whose whole body drenching sweats were completely alleviated by stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and/or adjacent structures. Sweating reappeared 4h after the pulse generator (stimulation) was turned off and ceased when stimulation was resumed. Imaging studies with reconstruction indicated that stimulation of, or spread of stimulation from, the caudal medial aspect of the right subthalamic nucleus and/or the caudal aspect of the ventral thalamus/zona incerta may be responsible for alleviating the drenching sweats.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Deep Brain Stimulation*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Movement Disorders / physiopathology
  • Movement Disorders / surgery
  • Movement Disorders / therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology*
  • Parkinson Disease / surgery
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Subthalamic Nucleus / pathology
  • Subthalamic Nucleus / physiopathology*
  • Sweating / physiology*
  • Thalamus / pathology
  • Thalamus / physiopathology
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome