Abstract
Background
Various pulse widths (from 60–450 μs) have been used for bilateral pallidal stimulation in generalized dystonia but, to date, no comparison of this parameter’s effects is available.
Objective
To provide an analysis of the differential effects of bilateral short, medium and long stimulus pulse width (PW) on clinical improvement in primary generalized dystonia.
Methods
The most effective therapeutic stimulation parameters were recorded in 22 patients using bilateral pallidal stimulation. Six months after surgery, the effects of bilateral pallidal short (60–90 μs), medium (120–150 μs) and long (450 μs) PWs were studied in 20 of those patients. The effect of the stimulation was assessed by reviewing videotaped sessions by an observer blinded to treatment status (Burke-Fahn-Marsden movement score). Patients were tested on separate days, in random order, for the stimulation conditions (acute effect with the stimulation condition lasting 10 hours). The same contact was used for each stimulation condition. All the electrodes were set at 130 Hz (monopolar stimulation) and the intensity was set individually 10% below the side effect threshold.
Results
Median PWs of 60 (short), 120 (medium) and 450 μs (long) were compared,with a mean intensity of 4.46, 3.45 and 2.47 V, respectively. This study failed to demonstrate any significant difference in the movementscale dystonia mean scores depending on PW.
Conclusion
According to our findings, shortduration stimulus PWs are as effective as longer ones during a 10 hour period of observation. Confirmation of this finding for chronic use could be of importance in saving stimulator energy. Moreover, the use of smaller stimulus pulse widths are said to reduce charge injection and increase the therapeutic window between therapeutic effects and side effects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hardman CD, Henderson JM, Finkelstein DI, Horne MK, Paxinos G, Halliday GM (2002) Comparison of the Basal Ganglia in rats, Marmosets, Macaques, Baboons, and Humans: Volume and Neuronal Number for the output, internal relay, and striatal modulating nuclei. J Comp Neurol 445:238–255
Coubes P, Echenne B, Roubertie A, Vayssière N, Tuffery S, Humbertclaude V, Cambonie G, Claustres M, Frerebeau Ph (1999) Traitement de la dystonie généralisée à début précoce par stimulation chronique bilatérale des globus pallidus internes. A propos d’un cas. Neurochirurgie 45:139–144
Cif L, El Fertit H, Vayssiere N, Hemm S, Hardouin E, Gannau A, Tuffery S, Coubes P (2003) Treatment of dystonic syndromes by chronic electrical stimulation of the internal globus pallidus. J Neurosurg Sci 47:52–55
Krauss JK, Pohle T, Weger S, Ozdoba C, Burgunder JM (1999) Bilateral stimulation of globus pallidus internus for treatment of cervical dystonia. Lancet 354:837–838
Vidailhet M, et al. (2005) Bilateral deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus in primary generalized dystonia. N Engl J Med 352:459–467
Escamilla-Sevilla F, Minguez-Castellanos A, Arjona-Moron V, Martin-Linares JM, Sanchez-Alvarez JC, Ortega-Morenoa A, Garcia-Gomez T (2002) Unilateral pallidal stimulation for segmental cervical and truncal dystonia: which side? Mov Disord 17:1383–1385
Parkin S, Aziz T, Gregory R, Bain P (2001) Bilateral internal globus pallidus stimulation for the treatment of spasmodic torticollis. Mov Disord 16:489–493
Kulisevsky J, Lleo A, Gironell A, Molet J, Pascual-Selano B, Pares P (2000) Bilateral pallidal stimulation for cervical dystonia: dissociated pain and motor improvement. Neurology 55:1754–1755
Umemura A, Jaggi JL, Dolinskas CA, Stern MB, Baltuch GH (2004) Pallidal deep brain stimulation for longstanding severe generalized dystonia in Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome. Case report. J Neurosurg 100:706–709
Loher TJ, Hasdemir MG, Burgunder JM, Krauss JK (2000) Long-term followup study of chronic globus pallidus internus stimulation for posttraumatic hemidystonia. Case Report. J Neurosurg 92:457–460
Chang JW, Choi JY, Lee BW, Kang UJ, Chung SS (2002) Unilateral globus pallidus internus stimulation improves delayed onset post-traumatic cervical dystonia with an ipsilateral focal basal ganglia lesion. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 73:588–590
Wohrle JC, Weigel R, Grips E, Blahak C, Capelle H, Krauss JK (2003) Risperidone-responsive segmental dystonia and pallidal deep brain stimulation. Neurology 61:546–548
Krauss JK, Pohle T, Weber S, Ozdoba C, Burgunder J-M (1999) Bilateral stimulation of globus pallidus internus for treatment of cervical dystonia. Lancet 354:837–838
Trottenberg T, Paul G, Meissner W, Maier-Hauff K, Taschner C, Kupsch A (2001) Pallidal and thalamic neurostimulation in severe tardive dystonia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 70:557–559
Capelle HG, Weigel R, Krauss JK (2003) Bilateral pallidal stimulation for blepharospasm-oromandibular dystonia (Meige syndrome). Neurology 60:2017–2018
Krauss JK, Loher TJ, Pohle T, Weber S, Taub E, Bärlocher CB, Burgunder JM (2002) Pallidal deep brain stimulation in patients with cervical dystonia and severe cervical dyskinesias with cervical myelopathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 72:249–256
Krause M, Fogel W, Kloss M, Rasche D, Volkmann J, Tronnier V (2004) Pallidal stimulation for dystonia. Neurosurgery 55:1361–1370
Ghika J, Villemure JG, Miklossy J, Temperli P, Pralong E, Christen-Zaech S, Pollo C, Maeder P, Bogousslavsky J, Vingerhoets F (2002) Postanoxic generalized dystonia improved by bilateral Voa thalamic deep brain stimulation. Neurology 58:311–313
Muta D, Gotot S, Nighikawa S, Hamasaki T, Ushio Y, Inoue N, Mita S (2001) Bilateral pallidal stimulation for idiopathic segmental axial dystonia advanced from meige syndrome refractory to bilateral thalamotomy. Mov Disord 16:774–777
Goto S, Mita S, Ushio Y (2002) Bilateral pallidal stimulation for cervical dystonia. An optimal paradigm from our experiences. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 79:221–227
Kumar R, Dagher A, Hutchinson WD, Lang AE, Lozano AM (1999) Globus pallidus deep brain stimulation for generalized dystonia: Clinical and PET investigation. Neurology 53:871–874
Yanni J, Bain P, Giladi N, Auca M, Gregory R, Joint C, Nandi D, Stein J, Scott R, Aziz T (2003) Globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation for dystonic conditions: a prospective audit. Mov Disord 18:436–442
Vercueil L, Pollak P, Fraix V, Caputo E, Moro E, Benazzouz A, Xie J, Koudsie A, Benabid AL (2001) Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of severe dystonia. J Neurol 248:695–700
Coubes P, Cif L, El Fertit H, Hemm S, Vayssiere N, Serrat S, Picot MC, Tuffery S, Claustres M, Echenne B, Frerebeau P (2004) Electrical stimulation of the globus pallidus internus in patients with primary generalized dystonia: long-term results. J Neurosurg 101:189–194
Roujeau T, El Fertit H, Cif L, Vayssiere N, Rodriguez MA, Hemm S, Coubes P (2004) Stimulation cérébrale profonde dans la dystonie: complications au long cours. Neurochirurgie 50:578
Kuncel AM, Gill WM (2004) Selection of stimulus parameters for deep brain stimulation. Clin Neurophysiol 115:2431–2441
Moro E, Esselink RJ, Xie J, Hommel M, Benabid AL, Pollak P (2002) The impact on Parkinson’s disease of electrical parameter settings in STN stimulation. Neurology 59:706–713
Vidailhet M, Vercueil L, Houeto JL, Krystkowiak P, Lagrange C, Yelnik J, Bardinet E, Benabid AL, Navarro S, Dormont D,Grand S, Blond S, Ardouin C, Pillon B, Dujardin K, Hahn-Barma V, Agid Y, Destée A, Pollak P, and The French SPIDY Study Group* (2007) Bilateral, pallidal, deep-brain stimulation in primary generalised dystonia: a prospective 3 year follow-up study. The Lancet Neurology (in press) http://neurology.thelancet.com Published online January 31.2007 DOI:10.1016/S1474–4422(07)70035–2
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vercueil, L., Houeto, J.L., Krystkowiak, P. et al. Effects of pulse width variations in pallidal stimulation for primary generalized dystonia. J Neurol 254, 1533–1537 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-007-0578-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-007-0578-8