Deep brain stimulation for movement disorders other than Parkinson's disease

Abstract

As well as being an effective treatment for well selected Parkinson's disease patients, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is also a beneficial treatment for Movement Disorders other than Parkinson's disease. In the treatment of dystonia, the most common target is the internal globus pallidus (GPi). Focal and generalised primary dystonia will often respond extremely well to bilateral GPi DBS. More modest improvements can be seen in the management of secondary dystonia. In the treatment of Essential Tremor, the usual target is either the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) or the zona incerta (ZI). Bilateral VIM or ZI DBS is often a very effective treatment for Essential Tremor and other tremor syndromes. DBS is sometimes used to treat Tourette syndrome, chorea, myoclonus and tardive syndromes. Impressive results are often seen in these other conditions, although further research is needed to clarify which patients will benefit. DBS does not improve patients with Parkinson Plus disorders.