[Treatment of Parkinson tremor by chronic stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus]

Rev Neurol (Paris). 1989;145(4):320-3.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Stereotactic ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) thalamotomy may improve drug resistant severe parkinsonian tremor. However, tremor may recur and bilateral thalamotomy is known to induce unacceptable side effects in a proportion of patients. A high frequency (130 Hz) chronic Vim stimulation was performed in 4 parkinsonian patients, 2 of them having previously undergone a thalamotomy on the other side. Tremor was suppressed in all patients at the price of slight paresthesias. This improvement has been lasting from 2 to 14 months. Beneficial and adverse effects were suppressed at once each time the stimulation was stopped. These preliminary results are encouraging but a longer delay and more patients are obviously needed.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Electric Stimulation Therapy / methods*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Stereotaxic Techniques
  • Thalamic Nuclei*
  • Thalamus / surgery
  • Tremor / etiology
  • Tremor / therapy*