Brain : a journal of neurology
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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and antiparkinsonian medication have proved to be effective treatments for tremor in Parkinson's disease. To date it is not known how and to what extent STN DBS alone and in combination with antiparkinsonian medication alters the pathophysiology of resting and postural tremor in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of STN DBS and antiparkinsonian medication on the neurophysiological characteristics of resting and postural hand tremor in Parkinson's disease. ⋯ STN DBS was more effective than medication in reducing the amplitude and increasing the frequency of resting and postural tremor to healthy physiological levels. These findings provide strong evidence that effective STN DBS normalizes the amplitude and frequency of tremor. The findings suggest that neural activity in the STN is an important modulator of the neural network(s) responsible for both resting and postural tremor genesis in Parkinson's disease.
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There is little information available relevant to long-term seizure outcome after anterior temporal lobectomy, particularly at extended postoperative periods. The aim of this study was an in-depth examination of patterns of longitudinal outcome and potential risk factors for seizure recurrence after lobectomy, utilizing a large patient sample with long follow-up. Included were 325 patients who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy between 1978 and 1998 (mean follow-up 9.6 +/- 4.2 years). ⋯ This may be because selection of patients for AED discontinuation is biased towards those individuals perceived as 'low risk'. The results of this study indicate that the lack of an obvious abnormality or the presence of diffuse pathology, and preoperative secondarily generalized seizures are risk factors for recurrence after surgery. Late recurrence after initial seizure freedom is not a rare event; risk factors specific to this phenomenon are as yet unidentified.