DBS for ST
A recent finding from UHN researchers Drs. Elena Moro, Andres Lozano, Janis Miyasaki, Anthony Lang, Jonathan Dostrovsky and William Hutchison may be a potential therapeutic treatment for individuals with cervical dystonia (CD) - a painful disorder characterized by the involuntary movement of neck muscles. Primary CD is estimated to affect approximately 20-40 individuals out of 100,000.The study followed CD patients who were previously unresponsive to medical treatment. Participants underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) of their bilateral globus pallidus internus. DBS uses electrical stimulation to block neuronal signals that cause movement disorders (such as tremor, dystonia, stiffness and tics).
Results showed that this technique was an effective long-term therapy. “This treatment is effective in improving severity, disability, and pain in patients with CD that is currently not adequately controlled by medication,” says Dr. Moro. “The clinical benefit has proven stable over a two-year period; however, more studies are needed to determine the optical parameters of stimulation in patients with CD.”
Neurology. 2007 Feb 6;68(6):457-9.