Health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease after pallidotomy and deep brain stimulation. Three months after surgery, all neurosurgical groups showed significant improvements in mood and function, including physical, psychosocial, and overall functioning. Pallidal DBS and pallidotomy patients who completed additional QOL measures reported decreased anxiety and tension, increased vigor, improved mobility and ability to perform activities of daily living, and decreased perceived stigma. Results suggest that neurosurgical interventions for PD improve disabling PD motor symptoms and also improve several domains of quality of life. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
Essential tremor is a common movement disorder.
Deep brain stimulation of the VIM nucleus of the thalamus has been reported to be efficacious for reducing essential hand tremor. The effect of deep brain stimulation of the thalamus on essential head tremor has not been well studied. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of DBS of the thalamus in 38 patients with essential head tremor. There was a significant improvement in head tremor at all postimplant evaluations compared with baseline. Essential head tremor can be reduced with deep brain stimulation of the VIM nucleus of the thalamus and, pending the results of other controlled trials, should be considered as a treatment option for patients with disabling essential head tremor unresponsive to medication.