Biological psychiatry
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Biological psychiatry · Mar 2016
Clinical TrialMotor Improvement and Emotional Stabilization in Patients With Tourette Syndrome After Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Anterior and Ventrolateral Motor Part of the Thalamus.
Since its first application in 1999, the potential benefit of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in reducing symptoms of otherwise treatment-refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) has been documented in several publications. However, uncertainty regarding the ideal neural targets remains, and the eventuality of so far undocumented but possible negative long-term effects on personality fuels the debate about the ethical implications of DBS. ⋯ Trading off motor effects and desirable side effects against surgery-related risks and negative implications, stimulation of the ventral anterior and ventrolateral motor part of the thalamus seems to be a valuable option when considering DBS for TS.