Stimulation of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus in tremor dominated Parkinson's disease and essential tremor

Based on Benabid's experimental and clinical findings that low-frequency (50 Hz) electrical stimulation of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus may increase tremor, while higher frequencies (>100 Hz) lead to suppression of the tremor, we implanted a stimulation electrode in 33 thalami among 27 patients. Six patients were implanted bilaterally. 23 suffered from Parkinson's disease, 4 from essential tremor. All patients had a drug-resistant tremor.