Summary
Thalamic EEG recordings were made in 10 patients; the therapeutic goal of the implantation was the electrical stimulation treatment for pain. The patients' ages ranged from 37 to 72 years; seven patients had thalamic pain (Dejerine-Roussy syndrome), two had chronic spinal arachnoiditis and one had facial anaesthesia dolorosa.
Platinum-iridium electrodes were stereotaxically inserted; the ventrobasal complex of the thalamus including the ventral posterior zone was the target of the implant.
Excessive thalamic slowing was found in four of seven patients with Dejerine-Roussy syndrome and also in two of three cases with other causes of pain. One patient had marked rhythmical intermittent delta activity in the thalamus which was often triggered by arousing stimuli. Thalamic spindle activity was sometimes noted without concomitant spindle activity on the scalp and would occasionally occur in states of early drowsiness.
Zusammenfassung
In 10 Patienten mit chronischen Schmerzzuständen wurde das EEG vom Thalamus abgeleitet. Die Tiefenelektroden dienten therapeutisch zur elektrischen Stimulation als Schmerzbehandlung. Das Alter der Patienten lag zwischen 37 und 72 Jahren. In 7 Fällen lag Thalamusschmerz vor (Dejerine-Roussy Syndrome); zwei Patienten litten an chronischer spinaler Arachnoiditis und einer an Anaesthesia dolorosa im Gesichtsbereich.
Die Platin-Iridium-Elektroden wurden stereotaktisch eingeführt; als Zielgebiet diente der ventrobasale Komplex des Thalamus, der die ventralposterioren Kerngebiete einschließt.
Abnorme Verlangsamung im thalamischen EEG bestand bei 4 der 7 Patienten mit Dejerine-Roussy-Syndrome, aber auch bei 2 der 3 Patienten mit Schmerzen anderer Genese. Ein Patient zeigte ausgeprägte rhythmisch-intermittierende Delta-Tätigkeit im Thalamus, oft ausgelöst durch Weckreize. Gelegentlich fand sich Spindelaktivität im Thalamus ohne begleitende Spindeln im Kopfhaut-EEG; solche thalamischen Spindelzüge traten manchmal bereits im Zustand ganz leichter Schläfrigkeit auf.
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Gücer, G., Niedermeyer, E. & Long, D.M. Thalamic EEG recordings in patients with chronic pain. J. Neurol. 219, 47–61 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313368
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313368