Introduction and History Interest in deep brain stimulation (DBS) for chronic pain has waxed and waned over the past half century. Stimulation of the septal region of the brain for pain relief was first attempted in the 1950s. Chronic stimulation…
Introduction The pathobiology of vascular compression of the trigeminal (V), facial (VII), glossopharyngeal (IX), and vagus (X) nerves underlies a number of related neurologic disorders. Dandy (1932) first described vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve in the posterior fossa as…
The disease course of trigeminal neuralgia is varied for each patient and expressed in the pathophysiologic nuances of the facial pain, medical history, treatment preferences, and outcomes. Therefore the treatment paradigm should strive to integrate the full complement of medical…
Acknowledgments We are much indebted to Sten Håkanson, MD, PhD, the originator of glycerol treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, who collaborated with the first author in earlier versions of this chapter. Many patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) are elderly, often with…
Spasticity is defined as a velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement of a joint and its associated musculature and is characterized by hyperexcitability of the stretch reflex. Disorders are related to the failure of descending supraspinal inhibition. Spasticity should not be…
Axillary and palmar hyperhidroses are relatively common disorders that together affect approximately 0.5% to 1% of the population, with possibly higher percentages in those of Asian descent. Hyperhidrosis is an idiopathic overactivation of sweat glands that results in secretion of…
Background We often perceive human thoughts as powerful forces. However, one can question whether we, as humans, can manipulate the physical world around us just by our thoughts or will. Myths, legends, and science fiction are all full of stories…
Introduction The burden of psychiatric disease in the general population is substantial. Consider just two of the more common diseases. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is thought to affect nearly 17% of the world’s population, and the lifetime prevalence of obsessive-compulsive…
Introduction Lesion procedures for psychiatric disorders have been in use for more than half a century. Our current technology certainly surpasses that of the mid-20th century, when these procedures were developed. Current standards for imaging include high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging…
Movement disorders, such as Parkinson disease (PD), are currently treated pharmacologically by systemic administration of drugs that replace, mimic, or potentiate lost neurotransmitters, and more recently with neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN)…