Thalamic deep brain stimulation for the treatment of action myoclonus caused by perinatal anoxia.

Background: Perinatal anoxia rarely causes myoclonus as the main neurologic abnormality. The exact neuronal mechanism underlying myoclonus induced by perinatal anoxia remains unknown. Some studies have indicated that the development of involuntary movements may be related to the maturation of the thalamus after birth.

Objectives And Methods: Here, we describe the first case of a patient who developed action myoclonus after experiencing perinatal anoxia and was successfully treated by chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus (thalamic DBS).

Results And Conclusion: The effectiveness of chronic thalamic DBS in this patient supports the concept of involvement of the thalamus in post-perinatal anoxic myoclonus.