Publications by authors named "Susan L Heath"
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to evaluate if video telemedicine (VTEL) can effectively predict candidacy for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery compared to traditional in-person evaluations.
- During the analysis of 60 out-of-state patients, both VTEL and in-person evaluations showed similar rates for proceeding to surgery, indicating VTEL's reliability.
- VTEL not only streamlined the evaluation process but also significantly reduced travel costs and time for patients.
Objective: To report long-term safety and efficacy outcomes of a large cohort of patients with medically refractory isolated dystonia treated with subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Methods: Twenty patients (12 male, 8 female; mean age 49 ± 16.3 years) with medically refractory isolated dystonia were studied (14 were followed for 36 months).
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has developed into an important therapy for Parkinson disease, essential tremor, and dystonia with more nurses in varied settings often preparing patients and families for this type of surgery. This exploratory study sought to obtain patient and caregiver perspectives of the current DBS teaching for Parkinson disease, essential tremor, and dystonia; to improve the teaching; and to standardize the education. Using survey methodology, 41 patients with movement disorder and 32 caregivers completed surveys about the preoperative instructions they received.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an alternative target choice for treating primary dystonia, but little is known about the most effective programming parameters.
Objective: Here we prospectively evaluate the effect of low versus high frequency subthalamic nucleus DBS in patients with predominantly cervical or upper extremity primary dystonia.
Methods: Seven patients were stimulated at low frequency stimulation (60 Hz) for the first three months and then switched to high frequency stimulation (130 Hz) until month six.
Idiopathic cranial-cervical dystonia (ICCD) is an adult-onset dystonia syndrome affecting orbicularis oculi, facial, oromandibular, and cervical musculature. ICCD is frequently difficult to treat medically. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi) is a highly effective treatment for idiopathic generalized dystonia, however less is known about the effect of GPi DBS on ICCD.
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