Effective thalamic deep brain stimulation for neuropathic tremor in a patient with severe demyelinating neuropathy

Abstract

Postural and action tremor in peripheral neuropathy is characteristic of Roussy-Levy syndrome. A patient with a severe demyelinating neuropathy and disabling neuropathic tremor successfully treated by deep brain stimulation (DBS) is reported. Disease onset was at age 63 years with sensory symptoms and slight action tremor. Within the following 9 years a severe, drug resistant, postural and action tremor developed rendering the patient unable to feed himself. At age 72 years the patient was treated by bilateral DBS of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus, with a useful 30% reduction in tremor. The clinical benefit of the stimulation remained stable over a 1 year postoperative observation period.