[A comparative study of the efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and pharmacological treatment in advanced Parkinson's disease]. / Sravnitel'noe issledovanie éffektivnosti neirokhirurgicheskogo lecheniia (élektrostimuliatsiia subtalamicheskogo iadra) i medikamentoznoi terapii na razvernutoi stadii bolezni Parkinsona.

Objective. To assess the clinical efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS STN) of the subthalamic nucleus in patients with Parkinson´s disease (PD) compared to pharmacological treatment. Material and methods. DBS STN was applied to 22 patients (mean age 53.2 years, mean disease duration 9,6 years). The control group included 28 patients (mean age 54.2 years, mean disease duration 9,6 years) with PD who received pharmacological treatment. Patients were examined in OFF-medication and ON-medication conditions at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36 months. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part II, III, IV, the Hoehn and Yahr scale, the Schwab and England Scale, PDQ-39, the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression and the Spielberger Anxiety Scale were administered. All patients had motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. Results and conclusion. We demonstrated that DBS STN improved UPDRS II, III scores, reduced dyskinesias and motor fluctuations. After surgery, dopaminergic therapy was reduced by approximately 54.5%. In the control group, levodopa dose was increased by 20.5% to 36th month.

[Cognitive functions in patients with primary torsion dystonia treated with pallidal deep brain stimulation].

Forty-three patients with primary dystonia underwent neuropsychological assessment according to the method of A.R. Luria. Twenty-three patients with generalized dystonia and 20 with local forms (cervical and craniocervical) were included in the study. All patients were evaluated before pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS GPi), 32 patients were examined 3-6 days after surgery, and 26 patients - during the first two years of the postoperative follow-up. The evaluation before surgery revealed cognitive impairment in 41 patients. The most common were mnemonic impairment, inertness and preservation in different tests, and spatial function decline. Thus, patients with local forms more frequently had troubles with performance memory tests, whereas spatial function disorders were more common in patients with generalized forms. The deterioration of cognitive functions was observed in 28 patients in the early postoperative period. Moreover, the group of patients with local forms had poorer results. The neuropsychological evaluation after 3-6 months of the postoperative follow-up showed the restoration of cognitive functions to the preoperative level. Neuropsychological syndrome observed in patients with dystonia was generally similar to that found in patients with lesions of the frontal lobe, the caudate nucleus, and the cerebellum.

[Microsurgical selective neurotomy in treatment of the focal spastic syndromes of the different etiology]. / Mikrokhirurgicheskaia selektivnaia nevrotomiia v lechenii fokal'nykh spasticheskikh sindromov razlichnoi étiologii.

OBJECT: To estimate the effectiveness of selective peripheral neurotomy (SPN) in the treatment of local botuloresistant spastic disorders. METHODS: 20 SPNs were performed in 18 patients with spastic disorders. In 11 cases we performed SPN of the nervus obturatorius, in 5 - tibialis, in 3 - musculocutaneous, in 1 - radialis. The results of surgical treatment were estimated by the Ashworth scale and GMFM-88. These data was statistically processed. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease of spasticity in most cases: from 4,02±0,52 points before surgery to 1,86±0,63 points after surgery (p<0,001). In 11 cases we observed significant improvement in motor functions: from 50,7±12,92% before surgery to 54,9±13,6% after surgery (p<0,001). CONCLUSION: SPN is an effective procedure which leads to significant reduction of spasticity, improvement in movement range motor functions in patients with spastic disorders.

[Posterior selective rhizotomy in the treatment of severe spastic syndrome in cerebral palsy].

BACKGROUND: Aim of this study was to optimize surgical technique of posterior selective rhizotomy for prevention of possible complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 11 patients (age 3-30 years) with severe spastic tetraparesis due to cerebral palsy were operated. Muscle tone in lower limbs reached 4-5 points (Ashworth scale). In all cases posterior selective rhizotomy of L1-S1 spinal roots was performed using laminoplasty and intraoperative electromyographic monitoring. Results were assessed in early postoperative period and during follow-up. RESULTS: In all cases in the early postoperative period we observed decrease of muscle tone to 1-2 points and increase of volume of passive movements. In the follow-up period 4 patients developed improvement of locomotor status, in 6 no changes were observed. In 1 case spastic syndrome recurred. We had no complications due to orthopaedic deformities of spinal column, sensory and pelvic disorders, muscular hypotonia. CONCLUSION: Posterior selective rhizotomy may be the method of choice in treatment of patients with severe spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Application of optimized surgical technique (laminoplasty, intraoperative stimulation electromyography) allows to decrease the risk of possible complications.

[Electrostimulation of a subthalamic nuclear area in Parkinson's disease].

The paper presents the results of application of chronic electrostimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in 15 patients with the akinetic-rigid form of Parkinson's disease. Standard UPDRS, Schwab and England, Hoehn and Yahr, and PDQ-39 rating scales were used for the clinical evaluation of motor disorders. The patients were examined before and 6 months after surgery with ON-stimulation in OFF and ON-medication. Positive results as better life quality, ameliorated motor disorders, and fewer complication of drug therapy with a two-fold reduction in the daily dose of L-dopa were obtained in the vast majority of patients (n = 14).