Holmes Tremor due to Artery of Percheron Infarct: Clinical Case and Treatment Using Deep Brain Stimulation of the Vim and ZI Targets

Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 2020 Jan 7:10. doi: 10.7916/tohm.v0.732. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Background: Holmes tremor (HT) arises from disruption of the cerebellothalamocortical pathways. A lesion can interrupt the projection at any point, resulting in this tremor. We describe a case of HT due to the rare artery of Percheron infarct and its successful treatment using deep brain stimulation.

Case report: A 62-year-old woman with a right medial cerebral peduncle and bilateral thalamic stroke developed HT. Ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) zona incerta (ZI) deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery was performed, with improvement in her tremor.

Discussion: Our case supports the theory that the more caudal ZI target in combination with Vim is beneficial in treating poorly DBS-responsive tremors such as HT.

Keywords: Deep brain stimulation; Holmes tremor; neurostimulation; tremor.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Cerebral Infarction / complications
  • Cerebral Infarction / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cerebral Peduncle / blood supply
  • Cerebral Peduncle / diagnostic imaging
  • Deep Brain Stimulation / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Thalamus / blood supply
  • Thalamus / diagnostic imaging
  • Tremor / etiology
  • Tremor / therapy*
  • Ventral Thalamic Nuclei*
  • Zona Incerta*