Reversal of thalamic hand syndrome by long-term motor cortex stimulation

2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Franzini ◽  
Paolo Ferroli ◽  
Domenico Servello ◽  
Giovanni Broggi

✓ The authors describe a case of complete recovery from the so-called “thalamic hand” syndrome following chronic motor cortex stimulation in a 64-year-old man suffering from poststroke thalamic central pain. As of the 2-year follow-up examination, the patient's dystonia and pain are still controlled by electrical stimulation.It is speculated that a common mechanism in which the thalamocortical circuit loops are rendered out of balance may sustain hand dystonia and central pain in this case of thalamic syndrome. To the authors' knowledge this is the first reported case of its kind.

1981 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaine S. Nashold ◽  
Elizabeth Bullitt

✓ Thirteen patients with intractable long-term pain following spinal cord injury and paraplegia were treated with dorsal root entry zone lesions placed at the level just above the transection. Pain relief of 50% or more was achieved in 11 of the 13 patients, with follow-up periods ranging from 5 to 38 months. A previous report showed that central pain from brachial plexus avulsion could be relieved by dorsal root entry zone lesions, and this technique has been extended to the central pain phenomena associated with spinal trauma and paraplegia.


1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Canavero ◽  
Vincenzo Bonicalzi ◽  
Giancarlo Castellano ◽  
Paola Perozzo ◽  
Barbara Massa-Micon

✓ In this report, the authors describe a case in which the patient began to experience a supernumerary phantom arm after she received motor cortex stimulation for central pain. The patient had a history of right thalamocapsular stroke. It is speculated that the motor cortex activation triggered a response in the patient's parietal lobe, precipitating perception of the phantom limb.To the authors' knowledge this is the first reported case of its kind.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byung Chul Son ◽  
Moon Chan Kim ◽  
Dong Eon Moon ◽  
Joon Ki Kang

✓ The authors describe the effectiveness of motor cortex stimulation (MCS) in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) Type II, formerly known as causalgia, with hemibody allodynia. During MCS, a subjective sensation of warm paresthesia developed in the painful hand and forearm and spread toward the trunk. Pain and allodynia in the areas associated with this sensation were alleviated significantly. The analgesic effect of stimulation proved to be long lasting and was still present at the 12-month follow up. The authors speculate that MCS might exert its effect through the modulation of thalamic activity in this particular case of CRPS with hemisensory deficit. A central mechanism associated with functional disturbance in noxious-event processing in the thalamus might have an important role in the pathogenesis of the condition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 416
Author(s):  
Carla Piano ◽  
Francesco Bove ◽  
Delia Mulas ◽  
Enrico Di Stasio ◽  
Alfonso Fasano ◽  
...  

Previous investigations have reported on the motor benefits and safety of chronic extradural motor cortex stimulation (EMCS) for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but studies addressing the long-term clinical outcome are still lacking. In this study, nine consecutive PD patients who underwent EMCS were prospectively recruited, with a mean follow-up time of 5.1 ± 2.5 years. As compared to the preoperatory baseline, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III in the off-medication condition significantly decreased by 13.8% at 12 months, 16.1% at 18 months, 18.4% at 24 months, 21% at 36 months, 15.6% at 60 months, and 8.6% at 72 months. The UPDRS-IV decreased by 30.8% at 12 months, 22.1% at 24 months, 25% at 60 months, and 36.5% at 72 months. Dopaminergic therapy showed a progressive reduction, significant at 60 months (11.8%). Quality of life improved by 18.0% at 12 months, and 22.4% at 60 months. No surgical complication, cognitive or behavioral change occurred. The only adverse event reported was an infection of the implantable pulse generator pocket. Even in the long-term follow-up, EMCS was shown to be a safe and effective treatment option in PD patients, resulting in improvements in motor symptoms and quality of life, and reductions in motor complications and dopaminergic therapy.


2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone A. Betchen ◽  
Jane Walsh ◽  
Kalmon D. Post

Object. Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are now amenable to resection with excellent hearing preservation rates. It remains unclear whether immediately postoperative hearing is a durable result and will not diminish over time. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of long-term preservation of functional hearing following surgery for a VS and to examine factors influencing hearing preservation. Methods. All patients eligible for hearing preservation (Gardner—Robertson Class I or II) who had undergone resection of a VS by a single surgeon were reviewed retrospectively. Follow-up audiograms and magnetic resonance images were obtained. Of 142 patients deemed eligible for hearing preservation surgery, 38 had immediate postoperative hearing confirmed by an audiogram. In these patients with preserved hearing, the audiographic results demonstrated functional hearing in 30 (85.7%) of 35 patients who underwent repeated testing at a mean follow-up time of 7 years. Delayed hearing loss occurred in five (14.3%) of the 35 patients and did not correlate significantly with the size of the tumor. Hearing improved one Gardner—Robertson class postoperatively in three (7.9%) of the 38 patients. Conclusions. Long-term functional hearing was maintained in 85.7% of patients when it was preserved immediately postoperatively and the result was independent of tumor size. The results of this study emphasize that long-term preservation of functional hearing is a realistic goal following VS surgery and should be attempted in all patients in whom preoperative hearing is determined to be Gardner—Robertson Class I or II.


1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ebersold ◽  
Michel C. Pare ◽  
Lynn M. Quast

✓ The long-term outcome of cervical spondylitic myelopathy after surgical treatment was retrospectively reviewed and critically evaluated in 100 patients with documented cervical myelopathy treated between 1978 and 1988 at our institution. Eighty-four patients were available for long-term study. The median duration of follow up was 7.35 years (range 3 to 9.5 years). There were 67 men and 17 women; their ages ranged from 27 to 86 years. The duration of preoperative symptoms ranged from 1 month to 10 years. Preoperative functional grade as evaluated with the Nurick Scale for the group was 2.1. Thirty-three patients with primarily anterior cord compression, one- or two-level disease, or a kyphotic neck deformity were treated by anterior decompression and fusion. Fifty-one patients with primarily posterior cord compression and multiple-level disease were treated by posterior laminectomy. There was no difference in the preoperative functional grade in these two groups. The patients in the posterior treatment group were older (59 vs 55 years). There was no surgical mortality from the operative procedures; morbidity was 3.6%. Of the 33 patients undergoing anterior decompression and fusion, 24 showed immediate functional improvement and nine were unchanged. Of the 51 patients who underwent posterior laminectomy, 35 demonstrated improvement, 11 were unchanged, and five were worse. Six patients, one in the anterior group and five in the posterior group, demonstrated early deterioration. Late deterioration occurred from 2 to 68 months postoperatively. Four (12%) patients who had undergone anterior procedures had additional posterior procedures, and seven (13.7%) patients who had undergone posterior procedures had additional decompressive surgery. The final functional status at last follow-up examination for the 33 patients in the anterior group was improved in 18, unchanged in nine, and deteriorated in six. Of the 51 patients who underwent posterior decompression, 19 benefited from the surgery, 13 were unchanged, and 19 were worse at last follow up than before their initial surgical procedure. Age, severity of disease, number of levels operated, and preoperative grade were not predictive of outcome. The only factor related to potential deterioration was the duration of symptoms preoperatively. The results indicate that with anterior or posterior decompression, long-term outcome is variable, and a subgroup of patients, even after adequate decompression and initial improvement, will have late functional deterioration.


2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Guimarães-Ferreira ◽  
Fredrik Gewalli ◽  
Pelle Sahlin ◽  
Hans Friede ◽  
Py Owman-Moll ◽  
...  

Object. Brachycephaly is a characteristic feature of Apert syndrome. Traditional techniques of cranioplasty often fail to produce an acceptable morphological outcome in patients with this condition. In 1996 a new surgical procedure called “dynamic cranioplasty for brachycephaly” (DCB) was reported. The purpose of the present study was to analyze perioperative data and morphological long-term results in patients with the cranial vault deformity of Apert syndrome who were treated with DCB. Methods. Twelve patients have undergone surgery performed using this technique since its introduction in 1991 (mean duration of follow-up review 60.2 months). Eleven patients had bicoronal synostosis and one had a combined bicoronal—bilambdoid synostosis. Perioperative data and long-term evolution of skull shape visualized on serial cephalometric radiographs were analyzed and compared with normative data. Changes in mean skull proportions were evaluated using a two-tailed paired-samples t-test, with differences being considered significant for probability values less than 0.01. The mean operative blood transfusion was 136% of estimated red cell mass (ERCM) and the mean postoperative transfusion was 48% of ERCM. The mean operative time was 218 minutes. The duration of stay in the intensive care unit averaged 1.7 days and the mean hospital stay was 11.8 days. There were no incidences of mortality and few complications. An improvement in skull shape was achieved in all cases, with a change in the mean cephalic index from a preoperative value of 90 to a postoperative value of 78 (p = 0.000254). Conclusions. Dynamic cranioplasty for brachycephaly is a safe procedure, yielding high-quality morphological results in the treatment of brachycephaly in patients with Apert syndrome.


2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 480-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goro Otsuka ◽  
Kiyoshi Saito ◽  
Tetsuya Nagatani ◽  
Jun Yoshida

Object. Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) is an intractable disorder predisposing to multiple, recurrent tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). To clarify the survival rate and characteristics that predict poor survival, we retrospectively reviewed clinical data in cases of NF2. Methods. From among 283 patients with neurofibromatosis who had been registered in a nationwide study in Japan between 1986 and 1987, 74 patients with bilateral vestibular schwannomas were analyzed. The mean duration of follow up after diagnosis was 121 months (range 2–287 months). Results of a Kaplan—Meier product-limit analysis indicated that overall 5-, 10-, and 20-year patient survival rates following diagnosis of NF2 were 85, 67, and 38%, respectively. Early onset of the initial symptom significantly compromised survival; 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival rates in patients with symptom onset at an age younger than 25 years were 80, 60, and 28%, respectively, whereas in patients with symptom onset at an age of 25 years or older the rates were 100, 87, and 62%, respectively. Patients with small vestibular schwannomas at diagnosis (< 2 cm in diameter) had better rates of survival. Other variables such as sex, additional tumors in the CNS, or dermal abnormalities did not significantly affect survival. Conclusions. This first report of long-term follow-up results concerning the survival of patients with NF2 indicates an adverse effect of early symptom onset.


1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Decq ◽  
Pierre Brugières ◽  
Caroline Le Guerinel ◽  
Michel Djindjian ◽  
Yves Kéravel ◽  
...  

✓ The use of an endoscope in the treatment of suprasellar arachnoid cysts provides an opening of the upper and lower cyst walls, thereby allowing the surgeon to perform a ventriculocystostomy (VC) or a ventriculocystocysternostomy (VCC). To discover which procedure is appropriate, magnetic resonance (MR)—imaged cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics in two patients were analyzed, one having undergone a VC and the other a VCC using a rigid endoscope. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed before and after treatment, with long-term follow-up periods (18 months and 2 years). The two patients were reoperated on during the follow-up period because of slight headache recurrence in one case and MR—imaged CSF flow dynamics modifications in the other. In each case surgery confirmed the CSF flow dynamics modifications appearing on MR imaging. In both cases, long-term MR imaging follow-up studies showed a secondary closing of the upper wall orifice. After VCC, however, the lower communication between the cyst and the cisterns remained functional. The secondary closure of the upper orifice may be explained as follows: when opened, the upper wall becomes unnecessary and tends to return to a normal shape, leading to a secondary closure. The patent sylvian aqueduct aids this phenomenon, as observed after ventriculostomy when the aqueduct is secondarily functional. The simplicity of the VCC performed using endoscopic control, which is the only procedure to allow the opening in the cyst's lower wall to remain patent, leads the authors to advocate this technique in the treatment of suprasellar arachnoid cysts.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Gregor Wieser ◽  
Marcos Ortega ◽  
Alon Friedman ◽  
Yasuhiro Yonekawa

Object. Analyses of the results of surgery for epilepsy are hindered by inconsistent classifications of seizure outcome, small numbers of patients, and short postoperative follow-up periods. The authors conducted a retrospective study with a reassessment of the long-term seizure outcomes in patients who underwent selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) for pharmacotherapy—resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) at the Zurich University Hospital from 1975 to 1999. Methods. Year-by-year data and the last available data on seizure outcomes were retrospectively assessed for 369 consecutively surgically treated patients who had participated in a follow-up period longer than 1 year as of 1999 and whose outcomes were classified according to the Engel scale and the proposed new International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) scale. Patients were grouped into nonlesional and lesional MTLE groups depending on whether they harbored a gross anatomical lesion that caused the MTLE. Differentiation was made between curative and palliative operations. Complications related to surgery are reported for 453 patients who underwent SelAH and participated in more than 3 months of follow-up review. The last available outcome data according to the Engel scale were found to be generally similar to those of the new ILAE classification, with 66.9% of patients free from disabling seizures (Engel Class I) compared with 57.1% who were completely seizure and aura free (ILAE Class 1). The last available data on seizure outcome were not significantly different between patients in the lesional and nonlesional MTLE groups. In the lesional group, seizure outcomes were significantly better when patients underwent surgery early in the course of the disease. Overall, 70% of the patients received reductions in their antiepileptic drug treatment at the time of the last available follow-up review. Complications related to the surgical procedures were rare. Conclusions. The authors conclude that SelAH is a safe and effective surgical procedure for MTLE.


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