Location of the active contact within the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Background: Chronic electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of medically refractory idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The clinically most relevant location of stimulation within the physiologically defined STN has not been confirmed. We reviewed the locations of active electrical contacts in 33 patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral STN deep brain stimulator (DBS) implantation.

Cranial index of symmetry: an objective semiautomated measure of plagiocephaly. Technical note.

Object: The prevalence of deformational, or positional, plagiocephaly has increased during the last decade. Treatments vary among centers, ranging from expectant management to orthotic helmet therapy to craniofacial remodeling. This management variability is partially due to a lack of objective methods with which to measure the severity of plagiocephaly, as well as procedures that are not cumbersome or require radiographic studies.

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation in patients with a prior pallidotomy.

Object: A substantial number of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who have undergone unilateral stereotactic pallidotomy ultimately develop symptom progression, becoming potential candidates for further surgical treatment. Bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a subset of patients with refractory PD. Microelectrode recording is performed to help localize the STN and guide final placement of the electrode.

Neurophysiological refinement of subthalamic nucleus targeting.

Objective: Advances in image-guided stereotactic surgery, microelectrode recording techniques, and stimulation technology have been the driving forces behind a resurgence in the use of functional neurosurgery for the treatment of movement disorders. Despite the dramatic effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) techniques in ameliorating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, many critical questions related to the targeting, effects, and mechanisms of action of DBS remain unanswered. In this report, we describe the methods used to localize the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and we present the characteristics of encountered cells.