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Unstable impedance of a single electrode contact resulting in loss of DBS therapy—a case report

  • Case Report - Functional Neurosurgery - Movement disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Open and short circuits of electrode contacts are important technical dysfunctions of DBS. Here, we report on another type of dysfunction restricted to a single electrode contact: impedance instability within regular absolute values. After 9-year subthalamic DBS, a Parkinson patient developed unilateral motor symptoms and intermittent dysaesthesia due to impedance instability of the active contact. DBS efficacy could be restored without surgical revision by activation of the neighboring contact. During 3-year-follow-up, impedances of the dysfunctional contact varied between 1 and 3 kΩ whereas the other three contacts remained stable. Impedance documentation is crucial to identify such dysfunctions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurological Rehabilitation Center Godeshoehe, Waldstrasse 2-10, D-53177, Bonn, Germany

    Niels Allert, Alexandra Lindlau & Regina Quindt

  2. Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, D-50924, Köln, Germany

    Paul Reker & Michael Thomas Barbe

  3. Department of Neurology, University Hospital Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, D-35043, Marburg, Germany

    Lars Timmermann

Authors
  1. Niels Allert
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  2. Alexandra Lindlau
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  3. Regina Quindt
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  4. Paul Reker
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  5. Lars Timmermann
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  6. Michael Thomas Barbe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Niels Allert.

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The patient has consented to submission of this case report to the journal.

Conflict of interest

Niels Allert has received honoraria from Medtronic for lecturing and consulting. Alexandra Lindlau and Regina Quindt have nothing to disclose. Paul Reker received a travel grant from AbbVie. Between September 2014 and September 2017 Lars Timmermann received payments as a consultant for Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific, GE Medical, UCB Schwarz Pharma. Lars Timmermann also received honoraria as a speaker on symposia sponsored by Bial, Zambon Pharma, UCB Schwarz Pharma, Desitin Pharma, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abott, Bayer. The institution of Lars Timmermann, not Lars Timmermann personally received funding by the German Research Foundation, the German Ministry of Education and Research, Manfred und Ursula Müller Stiftung, Klüh Stiftung, Hoffnungsbaum e. V., NBIA DISORDERS SOCIETY USA, Köln Fortune, Medtronic, Deutsche Parkinson Vereinigung. Archimedes Pharma, Abott, Bayer, UCB, zur Rose Pharma, TEVA. Neither Lars Timmermann nor any member of his family holds stocks, stock options, patents or financial interests in any of the abovementioned companies or their competitors. Michael T Barbe has received speaker’s honoraria from Medtronic, St. Jude, UCB and GE Medical as well as research grants from Medtronic.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Functional Neurosurgery-Movement disorders

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Allert, N., Lindlau, A., Quindt, R. et al. Unstable impedance of a single electrode contact resulting in loss of DBS therapy—a case report. Acta Neurochir 160, 2485–2488 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3658-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3658-x

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