Thalamotomy for movement disorders

Abstract

VL thalamotomy is an excellent choice for the control of tremor in patients with a wide variety of disorders. Parkinson's disease and essential tremor are the best indications, but other disorders also respond. Improvement of bradykinesia and rigidity in Parkinson's disease is achievable but is not as dramatic as hyperkinetic symptoms. Morbidity from thalamotomy is most common with bilateral lesions, and innovative therapies such as thalamic stimulation may have a role when a second contralateral procedure is needed. Thalamotomy is an effective procedure that has probably been underused over the past two decades. With renewed interest in stereotactic neurosurgery, improved imaging, and well-established target localization techniques, the procedure is effective with a high degree of safety. The growing enthusiasm for brain grafting has also stimulated interest in the surgical treatment of movement disorders, and clearly this technique will evolve and progress as well. In the author's opinion, the results of ablative surgery still far exceed those of tissue implantation. For a select group of indications, thalamotomy should be considered in the forefront of options for patients with movement disorders.