Background: Deep brain stimulation for secondary dystonia has been limited by unknown optimal targets for individual children.
Objectives: We report the first case of a 7-year-old girl with severe generalized dystonia due to acquired striatal necrosis in whom we used a new method for identifying targets for deep brain stimulation.
Methods: We implanted temporary depth electrodes in 5 different nuclei bilaterally in the basal ganglia and thalamus, with test stimulation and recording during 1 week while the child was an inpatient in a neuromodulation monitoring unit.
Results: Single-unit activity in ventral intermedius Vim, internal globus pallidus (GPi), and subthalamic (STN) nuclei occurred during dystonic spasms and correlated with electromyography. Stimulation in Vim eliminated dystonic spasms. Subsequent implantation of 4 permanent deep brain stimulation electrodes in bilateral Vim and Gpi nuclei resolved dystonic spasms.
Conclusion: The use of temporary stimulation and recording electrodes to identify deep brain stimulation targets is a promising new technique that could improve outcomes in children with acquired dystonia.
Keywords: deep brain stimulation; pediatric; secondary dystonia; stereo EEG; targeting.