Publications by authors named "Diane S Huss"
Background: There is evidence that cortical cholinergic denervation contributes to gait and balance impairment in Parkinson's Disease (PD), especially reduced gait speed.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between cholinergic basal forebrain gray matter density (GMD) and gait in PD patients.
Methods: We investigated 66 PD patients who underwent a pre-surgical evaluation for a neurosurgical procedure to treat motor symptoms of PD.
Background: We investigated whether the characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients differ based on the primary indication for deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Methods: We reviewed data for 149 consecutive PD patients who underwent DBS at the University of Virginia. Patients were categorized based on primary surgical indication, and clinical characteristics were compared between groups.
Objective: To examine nonmotor outcomes and correlates of quality of life (QoL) 3 and 12 months after unilateral focused ultrasound thalamotomy in tremor-dominant Parkinson disease (TDPD).
Methods: Twenty-seven patients with TDPD in a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations. These included assessment of mood, behavior, and QoL at baseline, 3 months, 3 months post crossover in the sham group, and 12 months after active treatment.
Purpose: To evaluate the use of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tractography for neurosurgical guidance of transcranial MRI-guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) thalamotomy for essential tremor (ET).
Materials And Methods: Eight patients with medication-refractory ET were treated with tcMRgFUS targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus contralateral to their dominant hand. Diffusion and structural MRI data and clinical evaluations were acquired pre-treatment and post-treatment.
Psychosis is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), especially in advanced disease, and can lead to a number of psychotic symptoms, including delusions. One uncommon delusion is Capgras syndrome (CS). The authors report on three PD patients with a history of deep brain stimulation (DBS) who developed this delusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Clinical trials have confirmed the efficacy of focused ultrasound (FUS) thalamotomy in essential tremor, but its effectiveness and safety for managing tremor-dominant Parkinson disease (TDPD) is unknown.
Objective: To assess safety and efficacy at 12-month follow-up, accounting for placebo response, of unilateral FUS thalamotomy for patients with TDPD.
Design, Setting, And Participants: Of the 326 patients identified from an in-house database, 53 patients consented to be screened.
Background: Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) has largely replaced radiofrequency thalamotomy as the treatment of choice for disabling, medication-refractory essential tremor. Recently, the development of transcranial, high-intensity focused ultrasound has renewed interest in thalamic lesioning. The purpose of this study is to compare functional outcomes and quality of life in essential tremor patients treated with either bilateral Vim DBS or unilateral procedures (focused ultrasound or DBS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To use diffusion-tensor (DT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with essential tremor who were treated with transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound lesion inducement to identify the structural connectivity of the ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus and determine how DT imaging changes correlated with tremor changes after lesion inducement.
Materials And Methods: With institutional review board approval, and with prospective informed consent, 15 patients with medication-refractory essential tremor were enrolled in a HIPAA-compliant pilot study and were treated with transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound surgery targeting the ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus contralateral to their dominant hand. Fourteen patients were ultimately included.
Article Synopsis
- * A study of 888 patients revealed that ADL scores have a more stable correlation with disease duration than motor or mentation scores, regardless of medication status.
- * The findings suggest that ADL subscores may be a more reliable indicator of Parkinson's disease progression than other UPDRS assessments, as they remain consistently associated with disease duration.