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Neuropediatrics 2009; 40(5): 239-242
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1247519
Short Communication

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Deep Brain Stimulation of Globus Pallidus Internus in a 16-Year-Old Boy with Severe Tourette Syndrome and Mental Retardation

A. Dueck1 , 4 , A. Wolters2 , 4 , K. Wunsch1 , S. Bohne-Suraj1 , J.-U. Mueller3 , F. Haessler1 , R. Benecke2 , J. Buchmann1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence, Centre of Neuroscience, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
  • 2Department of Neurology, Centre of Neuroscience, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
  • 3Department of Neurosurgery, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
  • 4These authors contributed equally to this article
Further Information

Publication History

received 03.09.2009

accepted 21.12.2009

Publication Date:
10 March 2010 (online)

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Abstract

A 16- year-old boy with long-standing severe Tourette syndrome (TS) and mental retardation, non-responsive to complex pharmocological and behavioural treatment was selected for bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus (GPi). Pre-operative and post-operative Yale Tourette syndrome scale (YTSS) scores and several other scores were used to quantify the effect of DBS up to one year follow-up. Although subscores of the YTSS improved, the overall outcome of chronic GPi-DBS showed no substantial therapeutic effect. This finding is in contrast to markedly improved TS of the only two adolescent TS patients in whom DBS has been performed so far. In this article we discuss possible reasons for the poor therapeutic effect of GPi-DBS in our patient contributing to the on-going debate on DBS inclusion criteria for adolescent TS patients.

Key words

deep brain stimulation - globus pallidus internus - Tourette syndrome - treatment - Yale Tourette syndrome scale score

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Correspondence

Johannes BuchmannMD 

Department of Psychiatry Neurology

Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Childhood and Adolescence

Centre of Neuroscience

Gehlsheimer Straße 20

University of Rostock

18147 Rostock

Germany

Email: johannes.buchmann@med.uni-rostock.de

Alexander WoltersMD 

Department of Neurology

Centre of Neuroscience

Gehlsheimer Straße 20

University of Rostock

18147 Rostock

Germany

Phone: +49/381/494 4610

Fax: +49/381/494 4612

Email: alexander.wolters@med.uni-rostock.de

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