Bilateral Deep-Brain Stimulation for Tremor

Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus of thalamus improves contralateral tremor in essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Compared with ablative Vim thalamotomy, DBS destroys less tissue, and stimulation parameters can be varied to maximize benefits and minimize side effects. Bilateral thalamotomies are associated with a significant risk for dysarthria, cognitive decline, or other sequelae. Could bilateral DBS avoid such complications and improve not only bilateral tremor but also midline phenomena such as head tremor? …