Klinische Neurophysiologie 2012; 43 - P080
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1301630

Tremor clusters in the VIM associated with Essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease

DJ Pedrosa 1, C Reck 2, M Maarouf 3, L Wojtecki 4, A Pauls 1, V Sturm 3, A Schnitzler 4, GR Fink 2, L Timmermann 2
  • 1Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Uniklinik Köln, Köln
  • 2Klinik für Neurologie, Uniklinik Köln, Köln
  • 3Klinik für Stereotaxie und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie, Uniklinik Köln, Köln
  • 4Institut für Klinische Neurowissenschaften und Medizinische Psychologie und Neurologische Klinik, Düsseldorf

Objective: To investigate neurophysiological changes in the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) in patients suffering from Essential Tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We investigated the electrophysiological changes in 11 ET and 4 PD patients by simultaneously recording local field potentials (LFPs) in the VIM (at different recording depths) and surface electromyographic signals (EMGs) from the extensor and flexor muscles of the contralateral forearm. Subsequently coherence between both signals was computed for single and double tremor frequency and the distribution within the different heights in the VIM was assessed.

Results: Coherence analysis revealed significant LFP-EMG coherence at single and double tremor frequency for all patients. This coherence was not only characterised by differences between antagonistic muscles (flexor, extensor) but also by the spatial distribution within the VIM. An individual pattern was found for all patients, indicating a differential topography of ‘tremor-clusters’ in the VIM for PD and ET.

Interpretation: We suggest that tremor-related electrophysiological changes exist in PD and ET tremor within the VIM. The modulation of these "tremor-clusters" might be on of the reasons for the efficacy of deep brain stimulation for treating patients suffering from different tremor entities such as ET and PD.