A 67-year-old man comes to the physician because of a worsening tremor that began 1 year ago. The tremor affects his left hand and improves when he uses his hand to complete a task. He also reports feeling stiffer throughout the day, and he has fallen twice in the past year. He has not noticed any changes in his cognition or mood. She is interested in discussing surgical options. This patient would most likely benefit from high-frequency deep brain stimulation targeted at suppressing neuronal activity in which of the following brain structures?

Question

A 67-year-old man comes to the physician because of a worsening tremor that began 1 year ago. The tremor affects his left hand and improves when he uses his hand to complete a task. He also reports feeling stiffer throughout the day, and he has fallen twice in the past year. He has not noticed any changes in his cognition or mood. She is interested in discussing surgical options.  This patient would most likely benefit from high-frequency deep brain stimulation targeted at suppressing neuronal activity in which of the following brain structures?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Nigrostriatal degeneration in Parkinson disease reduces activity of the thalamus and its projections to the cortex, resulting in bradykinesia and rigidity.  Patients with medically intractable symptoms of Parkinson disease may benefit from high-frequency deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus or subthalamic nucleus as it promotes thalamo-cortical disinhibition with improved mobility.

A 67-Year-Old Man Comes to the Physician Because of a Worsening