The understanding of the mechanismn of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamic ventrointermediat nucleus (VIM) for treatment of essential tremor (ET) is still incomplete. The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and DBS is a unique model for testing in vivo the modulatory potential of the electrical stimulation on the stimulated nucleus and the embedded neuronal network. Regional cerebral bloodflow (rCBF), i.e. synaptic activity, measurements were performend with a variation of stimulation frequencies. In the stimulated nucleus and in the functional connected ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex a positiv correlation of the rCBF to stimulation frequency was observed. A negativ correlation was observed in the contralateral parietoinsular vestibulo cortex (PIVC). In summary it`s shown the close connectivity in vivo of VIM thalamus and sensorimotor cortex suggested by neuroanatomical studies in animals and that thalamic DBS can actively influence neuronal activity within a thalamocortical pathway.
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The understanding of the mechanismn of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamic ventrointermediat nucleus (VIM) for treatment of essential tremor (ET) is still incomplete. The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and DBS is a unique model for testing in vivo the modulatory potential of the electrical stimulation on the stimulated nucleus and the embedded neuronal network. Regional cerebral bloodflow (rCBF), i.e. synaptic activity, measurements were performend with a variation of...
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