2020 Volume 79 Issue 1 Pages 15-18
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become the treatment of choice for medically refractory essential tremor. Although there have been many reports on the effectiveness of this treatment, some patients require further increased stimulation with progression of the disease. In such cases, the occurrence of stimulation-induced side-effects often limits the potential to increase stimulation further. Herein, we report a case of a 53-year-old man with medically-refractory essential tremor, who underwent thalamic DBS. His symptoms improved after surgery, but gradually deteriorated a few years later. We exchanged the stimulator with a new conductive device, and introduced a new program of stimulation. The tremor was then controlled. In recent years, new devices and programs have been developed, and we should consider using more beneficial treatments by selecting the devices and stimulation programs that can improve movement disorders effectively
