Mechanisms of subthalamic and thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) studied in Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ED)

Chronic high frequency electrical deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a widely accepted treatment in drug refractory Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia. There is a growing demand for knowledge on the basic mechanisms of DBS, in particular for subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation. We showed the differential impact of STN DBS on cognitive and motor circuitries in three PET studies: STN stimulation facilitated premotor activation while motor parameters improved during routine, predictable and automatic movement. However, in situations requiring non-automated behaviour, DBS of the STN led to inf…