Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

The 48th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology

Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of movement disorders

Satoshi Goto, M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Bioscience, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of Tokushima

The introduction of deep brain stimulation (DBS) was a historical step forward for the treatment of advanced and medically intractable movement disorders that include Parkinson's disease, dystonias, essential tremor, and Holmes' tremor. DBS is able to modulate the target region electrically in a reversible and adjustable fashion in contrast to an irreversible and destructive lesioning procedure. In the treatment of movement disorders, the potential targets are the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim), globus pallidus internus (GPi), subthalamic nucleus (STN), pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), and thalamic Vo-complex nucleus. With the development of DBS technology and stereotactic neurosurgical techniques, its therapeutic efficacy has been increased while reducing surgical complications. DBS has become an established therapy for disabling movement disorders and is currently being used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 47: 948|950, 2007)
key words: Deep brain stimulation, movement disorders

(Received: 16-May-07)