Surgery Stops Tourette’s
April 2, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For the first time in North America, a surgical treatment has been successfully used to treat Tourette syndrome. Doctors report the procedure resulted in immediate and nearly complete resolution of symptoms.
Tourette syndrome is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive muscle movements and vocalizations. It affects 200,000 Americans.
A neurosurgical team at University Hospitals of Cleveland used a technique called deep brain stimulation.
Through magnetic resonance imaging and 3-D computer images, the physicians located the safest route to the cells in the thalamus portion of the brain. This area controls movement. Electrodes were placed around cells in this portion of the brain to receive continuous high-frequency electrical stimulation. This exchange allows control messages to be rebalanced.
Robert J. Maciunas, M.D., neurosurgeon at UHC, says that just hours after the completion of surgery, the patient’s jerking motions, muscle tics and grunting disappeared, and he was able to walk again.
"This technique holds great promise for patients suffering from this movement disorder," comments Dr. Maciunas. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved this surgical technique for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia, which all cause involuntary muscle spasms.
The doctors at UHC say it is important to point out deep brain stimulation is really a last resort for Tourette’s patients, and that medicine often proves to be a very effective treatment. They also state it is not clear how effective deep brain stimulation will ultimately prove for these patients.
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SOURCE: University Hospitals of Cleveland, April 1, 2004