gms | German Medical Science

56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)
3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V.
Société Française de Neurochirurgie

07. bis 11.05.2005, Strasbourg

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Microelectrode recordings of the subthalamic nucleus in DBS surgery

Mikroelektrodenableitungen des Nucleus subthalamicus im Rahmen der tiefen Hirnstimulation

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author S. Breit - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • R. Popa - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • M. Tatagiba - Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen
  • T. Gasser - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • D. Freudenstein - Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Société Française de Neurochirurgie. 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC). Strasbourg, 07.-11.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. DocP023

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2005/05dgnc0291.shtml

Published: May 4, 2005

© 2005 Breit et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective

In recent years deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has become the surgical therapy of choice for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), leading to striking improvements in motor function and quality of life. The clinical outcome largely depends on the accuracy of targeting, which should not rely on imaging based preoperative targeting alone, but also on intraoperative test stimulation and electrophysiological exploration by microelectrode recordings. In this study we describe our experience with intraoperative microelectrode recordings and present the electrophysiological characteristics of STN neurons.

Methods

Twenty-two patients with idiopathic PD underwent simultaneous, bilateral DBS electrode implantation into the STN. In all patients, microelectrode recordings were performed intraoperatively. Extracellular single unit activity was analysed offline. Mean firing rate, firing pattern and interspike interval coefficient of variation were determined for all recorded neurons.

Results

STN neurons had a mean firing rate of 27.6±14.3 spikes/s (mean ±SD, n=453). The majority of neurons displayed a random or bursting firing pattern with a mean interspike interval coefficient of variation of 1.70±0.76. The average maximal trajectory length within STN was 4.2 mm.

Conclusions

According to the results of our study, the identification of the borders of the STN by microelectrode recordings could be achieved on a routine basis intraoperatively, thus increasing the accuracy of STN targeting.