DEEP BRAIN-STIMULATION FOR ESSENTIAL TREMOR

We examined the effects and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment for essential tremor (ET). Ten ET patients with disabling medication-refractory tremor underwent stereotactic implantation of a DBS lead in the left Vim thalamic nucleus and completed a 6-month foll ow-up. The Clinical Tremor Rating Scale and disability assessments wer e performed at baseline, 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up. There were sig nificant improvements in dressing, drinking, eating, bathing, and hand writing as reported by the subjects. Tremor severity, writing, pouring , and spiral and line drawing were significantly improved as rated by the examiner. Improvements persisted through the 6-month follow-up per iod. Although global disability significantly lessened in the group as a whole, one subject with hand-finger tremor accentuated by writing h ad no change in disability status. In this 6-month open-label study, D BS was effective and safe in reducing tremor and functional disability in ET.