Ken - Based on my husband's experience, a pallidotomy would be more likely to
exacerbate speech problems. He had a pallidal stimulation, not a
pallidotomy, but we have also talked to others who experienced more
difficulty with speech after pallidotomy.
It may be because the globus pallidus is so close to Broca's Area, the speech
center.
Have you asked a neurosurgeon about this?
For three days after his first surgery, Dick couldn't make any sound at all.
His voice improved after that, but has never returned to his pre-pallidal
stim state. He had some difficulty with volume, enunciation, and with his
voice quitting abruptly prior to the pallidal stim, but noticed considerably
more difficulty following surgery.
I would add, however, that if you need the pallidotomy to alleviate other
symptoms such as dyskinesia, we would encourage you to go ahead with it -
just don't count on improvement in your speech. We found speech therapy was
the best answer to improve speech problems. Good luck.
Margie Swindler
