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In a message dated 97-04-05 22:33:25 EST, you write: > >A It has been two and a half years since Gordon first saw Dr. Kim Burchiel >at the Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland Ore. and he had several >patients who had had pallidal stimulation. We saw a very interesting video >on it, but chose to stay with the thalomotomy choice. Since then I would >presume he has done more. > > I believe you're referring to thalamic stimulation, in which the tip of the electrode is implanted touching the thalamus. That surgery has been around for awhile, and is the one recently approved by the FDA. It's used to control tremor, both in PD and in essential tremor. If used in PD, it doesn't help the other symptoms. Pallidal stimulation uses the same stimulator, and the same principle, but the tip of the electrode touches the globus pallidus instead. It is used to control other symptoms of PD, like dyskinesia, but can also help with tremor. This is the operation that's relatively new and still experimental. It has been performed in Canada, at the Univ. of Kansas Med Center, and now in Minnesota. I believe it is also being done one or two places in Europe. Sincerely, Margie Swindler cg for Dick, 52/15 [log in to unmask]