Deep brain stimulation of the centromedian thalamic nucleus for essential tremor: a case report

Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2017 May;159(5):789-793. doi: 10.1007/s00701-017-3143-y. Epub 2017 Mar 16.

Abstract

The centromedian nucleus (CM) of the thalamus is an important site with anatomical connections to different cortical and subcortical motor areas; however, its role in tremor disorders is not clear, although deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the CM has been described to be effective in the treatment of parkinsonian tremor. We report a case of a patient with medication-refractory essential tremor (ET) who had excellent tremor suppression with DBS of the CM. The CM and the nearby region should be explored as a potential target for the treatment of ET and other forms of tremor.

Keywords: Case report; Centromedian nucleus; Deep brain stimulation; Essential tremor.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Deep Brain Stimulation / methods*
  • Essential Tremor / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei*
  • Male