Deep brain stimulation improves survival in severe Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Levodopa and other dopaminergic treatments have not had the expected effect on survival in Parkinson's disease (PD). Bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) has been shown to improve motor function, motor fluctuations, health-related quality of life, and to reduce medication usage and drug-induced dyskinesia in patients with severe PD refractory to medical therapy. Little however, has been described on the impact of STN-DBS on the survival of these patients.

Unilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation in a patient with dystonia secondary to episodic ataxia type 2.

Background/aims: This paper describes the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi) in the treatment of secondary dystonia caused by expisodic ataxia type 2 (EA2).

Methods: We present the case of a patient with EA2, an autosomal dominant condition, who developed late-onset cervical and right upper limb segmental dystonia. The patient underwent left GPi DBS.

Use of endotracheal tube electrodes in treating glossopharyngeal neuralgia: technical note.

Background/aims: This paper describes the use of endotracheal tube surface electrodes to help delineate the sensory and motor vagal rootlets which may be sacrificed during the surgical treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia.

Methods: Three patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia were studied. All patients had their procedure under general anesthesia and a nerve integrity monitor electromyography endotracheal tube (Medtronic Xomed, Jacksonville, Fla.

Rechargeable internal neural stimulators--is there a problem with efficacy?

Introduction: With the advent of rechargeable internal neural stimulators (rINS) for deep brain stimulation, our aim was to survey patient satisfaction and clinical efficacy in an early cohort of patients receiving this new technology.

Methods: This is an observational study on nine patients with rINS. All patients had initially received non-rechargeable INS with established efficacy of their deep brain stimulation system for either dystonia or pain.

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for advanced Parkinson disease using general anesthesia: long-term results.

Object: The authors analyze long-term outcome in a substantial number of patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery under general anesthesia.

Methods: Eighty-two patients underwent bilateral placement of DBS electrodes under general anesthesia for advanced Parkinson disease; the STN was the target in all cases. All patients underwent intraoperative microelectrode recording of the STN.

Percutaneous glycerol rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia: safety and efficacy of repeat procedures.

Percutaneous glycerol rhizotomy (PGR) is an established technique to treat trigeminal neuralgia. Our aim was to establish how safe and efficacious repeat glycerol rhizotomies were on a study of 179 PGRs performed in our institution. There was an overall success rate of 92.

Synovial cyst presenting as a C1/2 tumour.

Synovial cysts presenting within the cervical spine are rare. We describe a case of a synovial cyst presenting as a tumour and the successful management.

Haemorrhagic cerebellar fibrous histiocytoma: case report and literature review.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is uncommon within the central nervous system. It is a pleomorphic sarcoma originally found in soft tissue(1) and there are few reported cases within the central nervous system, in particular the cerebellum. This tumour is difficult to diagnose and may be difficult to treat.

Resolution of third nerve palsy following treatment of prolactinoma with cabergoline.

This report describes a case of prolactinoma that presented acutely with a third nerve palsy without evidence of apoplexy. The third nerve palsy resolved within 48 h on medical therapy. This is an atypical clinical presentation that highlights a successful and novel medical approach to treatment.