Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Extradural motor cortex stimulation as a method to treat advanced Parkinson’s disease: new perspectives in geriatric medicine

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Motor fluctuations not controlled by pharmacological therapy are often encountered in long-term Parkinson’s disease (PD). Neurosurgery treatment represented by deep brain stimulation (DBS) was considered a valid alternative to pharmacological treatment. Unfortunately this method is most effective in patients under age of 70. Recently it has been suggested that extradural motor cortex stimulation (EMCS) could be a valid cost-effective alternative to DBS to control motor symptoms in patients affected by Parkinson’s disease. The relevant non-invasive surgical technique makes this treatment particularly indicated in geriatric patients. Brain atrophy, cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms are not an absolute contraindication to the treatment. We submitted to EMCS an outpatient afferent to our geriatric department, a woman 68 yrs old. The patient showed an improvement of 35% as measured by the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scale after the surgery. If our findings will be confirmed in larger series, a new dimension will be added to the treatment of PD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. The Deep-Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease Study Group. Deep-brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus or the pars interna of the globus pallidus in Parkinson’s disease. N Engl J Med 2001; 345: 956–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lopiano L, Rizzone M, Bergamasco B. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in PD: an analysis of the exclusion causes. J Neurol Sci 2002; 195: 167–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Canavero S, Paolotti R, Bonicalzi V, et al. Extradural motor cortex stimulation for advanced Parkinson disease. J Neurosurg 2002; 97: 1208–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Canavero S, Paolotti R. Extradural motor cortex stimulation for advanced Parkinson’s disease: case report. Mov Disord 2000; 15: 169–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Canavero S, Bonicalzi V, Paolotti et al. Theraupetic extradural cortical stimulation for movement disorders: A review. Neurol Res 2003; 25: 118–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Canavero S, Bonicalzi V. Therapeutic extradural cortical stimulation for central and neuropathic pain: a review. Clin J Pain 2002; 18: 48–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Tsubokawa T, Katayama Y, Yamamoto T. Chronic motor cortex stimulation for the treatment of central pain. Acta Neurochir 1991; 52 (Suppl): 137–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Parent A, Hazrati LN. Functional anatomy of the basal ganglia: The cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop. Brain Res Rev 1995; 20: 91–127.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pagni CA, Altibrandi MG, Bentivoglio A, et al. Extradural motor cortex stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. History and first results by the study group of the Italian neurosurgical society. Acta Neurochirur 2005; 93 (Suppl): 113–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Franzini A, Ferroli P, Dones I, Marras C, Broggi G. Chronic motor cortex stimulation for movement disorders: A promising perspective. Neurol Res 2003; 25: 123–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UO Geriatria ASL 10 Firenze, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Enrico Benvenuti MD & Guido Gori

  2. Fondazione Don Gnocchi ONLUS IRCCS-Firenze, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Francesca Cecchi

  3. Istituto di Gerontologia e Geriatria, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Angela Colombini

Authors
  1. Enrico Benvenuti MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francesca Cecchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Angela Colombini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Guido Gori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Enrico Benvenuti MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Benvenuti, E., Cecchi, F., Colombini, A. et al. Extradural motor cortex stimulation as a method to treat advanced Parkinson’s disease: new perspectives in geriatric medicine. Aging Clin Exp Res 18, 347–348 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324671

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324671

Key words

Search

Navigation