Anatomic and neurophysiological methods for the targeting and lesioning of the subthalamic nucleus: Cuban experience and review.

Objective: To develop a method to place a lesion precisely in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and evaluate its effectiveness.

Methods: A retrospective study of targeting data collected during stereotactic planning to lesion the STN in 31 patients with Parkinson's disease and of results in more than 50 procedures was performed. The targeting method was based on computed tomographic imaging together with semimicroelectrode recording digital processing and electrical stimulation.