Human pallidothalamic and cerebellothalamic tracts: anatomical basis for functional stereotactic neurosurgery

Successful Radiofrequency Lesioning of the Pallidothalamic Tract in Paretic Form Focal Hand Dystonia With Paradoxical Unexpected Response to Intraoperative Test Electrical Stimulation: A Case Report

We report a case with paretic focal hand dystonia, which at first glance was diagnosed as writer's cramp, with poor performance only when playing the guitar and writing but with increased muscle tension around the elbow rather than in the fingers and hands. The muscle tension was around the elbow and the pallidothalamic tract (PTT) was selected as the proximal muscle target with less permanent complications. During the operation, the PTT test electrical stimulation was impaired only for guitar playing, but not for other hand movements. Therefore, test lesioning at a lower temperature and for a shorter time improved the symptoms, so we were convinced that this was the target site and coagulated this site, i.e., the PPT, at the usual temperature and time. With only one target lesioning, the patient's symptoms disappeared for six months. Careful history taking and physical examination to identify the site of muscle tension is important in determining the target of paretic form dystonia. In addition, test lesioning at a lower temperature and for a shorter time is useful if the test electrical stimulation produces a paradoxically unexpected response.

Illusions of Self-Motion during Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Tremor

OBJECTIVE

Brain networks mediating vestibular perception of self-motion overlap with those mediating balance. A systematic mapping of vestibular perceptual pathways in the thalamus may reveal new brain modulation targets for improving balance in neurological conditions.

METHODS

Here, we systematically report how magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery of the nucleus ventralis intermedius of the thalamus commonly evokes transient patient-reported illusions of self-motion. In 46 consecutive patients, we linked the descriptions of self-motion to sonication power and 3-dimensional (3D) coordinates of sonication targets. Target coordinates were normalized using a standard atlas, and a 3D model of the nucleus ventralis intermedius and adjacent structures was created to link sonication target to the illusion.

RESULTS

A total of 63% of patients reported illusions of self-motion, which were more likely with increased sonication power and with targets located more inferiorly along the rostrocaudal axis. Higher power and more inferiorly targeted sonications increased the likelihood of experiencing illusions of self-motion by 4 and 2 times, respectively (odds ratios = 4.03 for power, 2.098 for location).

INTERPRETATION

The phenomenon of magnetic vestibular stimulation is the most plausible explanation for these illusions of self-motion. Temporary unilateral modulation of vestibular pathways (via magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound) unveils the central adaptation to the magnetic field-induced peripheral vestibular bias, leading to an explicable illusion of motion. Consequently, systematic mapping of vestibular perceptual pathways via magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound may reveal new intracerebral targets for improving balance in neurological conditions. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:121-132.

Engaging dystonia networks with subthalamic stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a viable and efficacious treatment option for dystonia. While the internal pallidum serves as the primary target, more recently, stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been investigated. However, optimal targeting within this structure and its complex surroundings have not been studied in depth. Indeed, multiple historical targets that have been used for surgical treatment of dystonia are directly adjacent to the STN. Further, multiple types of dystonia exist, and outcomes are variable, suggesting that not all types would profit maximally from the exact same target. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the neural substrates underlying effects on dystonia symptoms is warranted. Here, we analyze a multi-center cohort of isolated dystonia patients with subthalamic implantations (N = 58) and relate their stimulation sites to improvement of appendicular and cervical symptoms as well as blepharospasm. Stimulation of the ventral oral posterior nucleus of thalamus and surrounding regions was associated with improvement in cervical dystonia, while stimulation of the dorsolateral STN was associated with improvement in limb dystonia and blepharospasm. This dissociation was also evident for structural connectivity, where the cerebellothalamic, corticospinal and pallidosubthalamic tracts were associated with improvement of cervical dystonia, while hyperdirect and subthalamopallidal pathways were associated with alleviation of limb dystonia and blepharospasm. Importantly, a single well-placed electrode may reach the three optimal target sites. On the level of functional networks, improvement of limb dystonia was correlated with connectivity to the corresponding somatotopic regions in primary motor cortex, while alleviation of cervical dystonia was correlated with connectivity to the recently described 'action-mode' network that involves supplementary motor and premotor cortex. Our findings suggest that different types of dystonia symptoms are modulated via distinct networks. Namely, appendicular dystonia and blepharospasm are improved with modulation of the basal ganglia, and, in particular, the subthalamic circuitry, including projections from the primary motor cortex. In contrast, cervical dystonia was more responsive when engaging the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit, including direct stimulation of ventral thalamic nuclei. These findings may inform DBS targeting and image-based programming strategies for patient-specific treatment of dystonia.

Mapping Subcortico-Cortical Coupling-A Comparison of Thalamic and Subthalamic Oscillations

BACKGROUND

The ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) is an effective target for deep brain stimulation in tremor patients. Despite its therapeutic importance, its oscillatory coupling to cortical areas has rarely been investigated in humans.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to identify the cortical areas coupled to the VIM in patients with essential tremor.

METHODS

We combined resting-state magnetoencephalography with local field potential recordings from the VIM of 19 essential tremor patients. Whole-brain maps of VIM-cortex coherence in several frequency bands were constructed using beamforming and compared with corresponding maps of subthalamic nucleus (STN) coherence based on data from 19 patients with Parkinson's disease. In addition, we computed spectral Granger causality.

RESULTS

The topographies of VIM-cortex and STN-cortex coherence were very similar overall but differed quantitatively. Both nuclei were coupled to the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex in the high-beta band; to the sensorimotor cortex, brainstem, and cerebellum in the low-beta band; and to the temporal cortex, brainstem, and cerebellum in the alpha band. High-beta coherence to sensorimotor cortex was stronger for the STN (P = 0.014), whereas low-beta coherence to the brainstem was stronger for the VIM (P = 0.017). Although the STN was driven by cortical activity in the high-beta band, the VIM led the sensorimotor cortex in the alpha band.

CONCLUSIONS

Thalamo-cortical coupling is spatially and spectrally organized. The overall similar topographies of VIM-cortex and STN-cortex coherence suggest that functional connections are not necessarily unique to one subcortical structure but might reflect larger frequency-specific networks involving VIM and STN to a different degree. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Coupled Activation of the Hyperdirect and Cerebellothalamic Pathways with Zona Incerta Deep Brain Stimulation

BACKGROUND

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) are established targets for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) or essential tremor (ET), respectively. However, DBS of the zona incerta (ZI) can be effective for both disorders. VIM DBS is assumed to achieve its therapeutic effect via activation of the cerebellothalamic (CBT) pathway, whereas the activation of the hyperdirect (HD) pathway likely plays a role in the mechanisms of STN DBS. Interestingly, HD pathway axons also emit collaterals to the ZI and red nucleus (RN) and the CBT pathway courses nearby to the ZI.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine the ability of ZI DBS to mutually activate the HD and CBT pathways in a detailed computational model of human DBS.

METHODS

We extended a previous model of the human HD pathway to incorporate axon collaterals to the ZI and RN. The anatomical framework of the model system also included representations of the CBT pathway and internal capsule (IC) fibers of passage. We then performed detailed biophysical simulations to quantify DBS activation of the HD, CBT, and IC pathways with electrodes located in either the STN or ZI.

RESULTS

STN DBS and ZI DBS both robustly activated the HD pathway. However, STN DBS was limited by IC activation at higher stimulus amplitudes. Alternatively, ZI DBS avoided IC activation while simultaneously activating the HD and CBT pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

From both neuroanatomical and biophysical perspectives, ZI DBS represents an advantageous target for coupled activation of the HD and CBT pathways. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Overlapping stimulation of subthalamic nucleus and dentato-rubro-thalamic tract in Parkinson's disease after deep brain stimulation

BACKGROUND

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) reduces tremor, rigidity, and akinesia. According to the literature, the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRTt) is verified target for DBS in essential tremor; however, its role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease is only vaguely described. The aim of our study was to identify the relationship between symptom alleviation in PD patients and the distance of the DBS electrode electric field (EF) to the DRTt.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective analysis of patients (N = 30) with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) who underwent DBS between November 2018 and January 2020 was performed. DRTt and STN were visualized using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and tractography protocol of magnetic resonance (MR). The EF was calculated and compared with STN and course of DRTt. Evaluation of patients before and after surgery was performed with use of UPDRS-III scale. The association between distance from EF to DRTt and clinical outcomes was examined. To confirm the anatomical variation between DRTt and STN observed in tractography, white matter dissection was performed with the Klingler technique on ten human brains.

RESULTS

Patients with EF overlapping STN and DRTt benefited from significant motor symptoms improvement. Anatomical findings confirmed the presence of population differences in variability of the DRTt course and were consistent with the DRTt visualized by MR.

CONCLUSIONS

DRTt proximity to STN, the main target in PD DBS surgery, confirmed by DWI with tractography protocol of MR combined with proper predefined stimulation parameters may improve efficacy of DBS-STN.

Locating the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation surgery: analysis of a case series comparing CT and MR targeting

BACKGROUND

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery targeting the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus (Vim) has proven efficacy in the treatment of tremor.

AIMS

The primary aim is to investigate whether there is a statistically significant difference in patient outcomes when CT-guided targeting of the Vim is compared with MRI-guided targeting.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study concerning patients undergoing Vim-targeted DBS at the Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle (9th August 2012 to 4th January 2019). Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Scale (FTM TS) and EQ-5D scores were collected from patient notes. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics Version 24. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare means.

RESULTS

Independent samples t-test did not reveal a statistically significant difference between CT (n = 10; FTM TS mean = 65.40, SD = 11.40; EQ-5D mean = 39.50, SD = 17.87) and MR (n = 7; FTM TS mean = 60.57, SD = 7.50; EQ-5D mean = 32.14, SD = 9.94) groups in pre-surgery FTM TS (t(15) = 0.977, p = 0.344) and EQ-5D (t(15) = 0.982, p = 0.342) scores. No statistically significant difference between the CT (FTM TS mean = 24.12, SD = 20.47; EQ-5D mean = 75.56, SD = 15.63) and MR (FTM TS mean = 22.86, SD = 6.72; EQ-5D mean = 70.43, SD = 15.48) groups was revealed at 1 year assessment of FTM TS (t(14) = 0.155, p = 0.879) and EQ-5D (t(14) = 0.654, p = 0.524). The median difference between pre- and post-surgery FTM TS and EQ-5D scores in the CT group at 1 year was 43.00 and 35.00, respectively. The MR patient group median difference in pre- and post-surgery at 1 year was 35.00 and 35.00 respectively.

CONCLUSION

No statistically significant difference between CT and MR image-guided targeting patient groups was detected.

Disbalanced recruitment of crossed and uncrossed cerebello-thalamic pathways during deep brain stimulation is predictive of delayed therapy escape in essential tremor

BACKGROUND

Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an efficacious treatment for drug-resistant essential tremor (ET) and the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRT) constitutes an important target structure. However, up to 40% of patients habituate and lose treatment efficacy over time, frequently accompanied by a stimulation-induced cerebellar syndrome. The phenomenon termed delayed therapy escape (DTE) is insufficiently understood. Our previous work showed that DTE clinically is pronounced on the non-dominant side and suggested that differential involvement of crossed versus uncrossed DRT (DRTx/DRTu) might play a role in DTE development.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled right-handed patients under bilateral thalamic DBS >12 months for ET from a cross-sectional study. They were characterized with the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (FTMTRS) and Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores at different timepoints. Normative fiber tractographic evaluations of crossed and uncrossed cerebellothalamic pathways and volume of activated tissue (VAT) studies together with [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography were applied.

RESULTS

A total of 29 patients met the inclusion criteria. Favoring DRTu over DRTx in the non-dominant VAT was associated with DTE (R2 = 0.4463, p < 0.01) and ataxia (R2 = 0.2319, p < 0.01). Moreover, increasing VAT size on the right (non-dominant) side was associated at trend level with more asymmetric glucose metabolism shifting towards the right (dominant) dentate nucleus.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that a disbalanced recruitment of DRTu in the non-dominant VAT induces detrimental stimulation effects on the dominant cerebellar outflow (together with contralateral stimulation) leading to DTE and thus hampering the overall treatment efficacy.

Advancements in Diffusion MRI Tractography for Neurosurgery

ABSTRACT

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography is a noninvasive technique that enables the visualization and quantification of white matter tracts within the brain. It is extensively used in preoperative planning for brain tumors, epilepsy, and functional neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation. Over the past 25 years, significant advancements have been made in imaging acquisition, fiber direction estimation, and tracking methods, resulting in considerable improvements in tractography accuracy. The technique enables the mapping of functionally critical pathways around surgical sites to avoid permanent functional disability. When the limitations are adequately acknowledged and considered, tractography can serve as a valuable tool to safeguard critical white matter tracts and provides insight regarding changes in normal white matter and structural connectivity of the whole brain beyond local lesions. In functional neurosurgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation, it plays a significant role in optimizing stimulation sites and parameters to maximize therapeutic efficacy and can be used as a direct target for therapy. These insights can aid in patient risk stratification and prognosis. This article aims to discuss state-of-the-art tractography methodologies and their applications in preoperative planning and highlight the challenges and new prospects for the use of tractography in daily clinical practice.

Abolition of seizures following Forel-H-tomy for drug-resistant epilepsy: A case report

A 62-year-old female experienced an extensive cerebral contusion in the left frontotemporal lobe due to an acute subdural hematoma at the age of 44 years. Six months after the injury, the patient developed epileptic seizures. The seizures were generalized with right cervical rotation and fencing posture. Despite prescriptions for four antiepileptic drugs, partial seizures occurred several times a month and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures once every 2 months. Video-electroencephalography showed epileptic discharges in the left frontal lobe. The patient was subsequently referred to our department for palliative surgery. The patient underwent a left Forel-H-tomy. The prescription of antiepileptic drugs was not changed, and the patient was seizure free for 1 year. Forel-H-tomy, a surgical procedure for intractable epilepsy, was pioneered by Dennosuke Jinnai. Despite its previously reported remarkable efficacy, Forel-H-tomy has not been performed for several decades. Nevertheless, it remains a potential alternative treatment option for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Active contact proximity to the cerebellothalamic tract predicts initial therapeutic current requirement with DBS for ET: an application of 7T MRI

Objective

To characterize how the proximity of deep brain stimulation (DBS) active contact locations relative to the cerebellothalamic tract (CTT) affect clinical outcomes in patients with essential tremor (ET).

Background

DBS is an effective treatment for refractory ET. However, the role of the CTT in mediating the effect of DBS for ET is not well characterized. 7-Tesla (T) MRI-derived tractography provides a means to measure the distance between the active contact and the CTT more precisely.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of 12 brain hemispheres in 7 patients at a single center who underwent 7T MRI prior to ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) DBS lead placement for ET following failed medical management. 7T-derived diffusion tractography imaging was used to identify the CTT and was merged with the post-operative CT to calculate the Euclidean distance from the active contact to the CTT. We collected optimized stimulation parameters at initial programing, 1- and 2-year follow up, as well as a baseline and postoperative Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) scores.

Results

The therapeutic DBS current mean (SD) across implants was 1.8 mA (1.8) at initial programming, 2.5 mA (0.6) at 1 year, and 2.9 mA (1.1) at 2-year follow up. Proximity of the clinically-optimized active contact to the CTT was 3.1 mm (1.2), which correlated with lower current requirements at the time of initial programming (R2 = 0.458, p = 0.009), but not at the 1- and 2-year follow up visits. Subjects achieved mean (SD) improvement in tremor control of 77.9% (14.5) at mean follow-up time of 22.2 (18.9) months. Active contact distance to the CTT did not predict post-operative tremor control at the time of the longer term clinical follow up (R2 = -0.073, p = 0.58).

Conclusion

Active DBS contact proximity to the CTT was associated with lower therapeutic current requirement following DBS surgery for ET, but therapeutic current was increased over time. Distance to CTT did not predict the need for increased current over time, or longer term post-operative tremor control in this cohort. Further study is needed to characterize the role of the CTT in long-term DBS outcomes.

Deep brain stimulation for essential tremor versus essential tremor plus: should we target the same spot in the thalamus?

Background

Although ET is a phenomenologically heterogeneous condition, thalamic DBS appears to be equally effective across subtypes. We hypothesized stimulation sites optimized for individuals with essential tremor (ET) would differ from individuals with essential tremor plus syndrome (ET-plus). We examined group differences in optimal stimulation sites within the ventral thalamus and their overlap of with relevant white matter tracts. By capturing these differences, we sought to determine whether ET subtypes are associated with anatomically distinct neural pathways.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted on ET patients undergoing VIM DBS at MUSC between 01/2012 and 02/2022. Clinical, demographic, neuroimaging, and DBS stimulation parameter data were collected. Clinical characteristics and pre-DBS videos were reviewed to classify ET and ET-plus cohorts. Patients in ET-plus cohorts were further divided into ET with dystonia, ET with ataxia, and ET with others. DBS leads were reconstructed using Lead-DBS and the volume of tissue activated (VTA) overlap was performed using normative connectomes. Tremor improvement was measured by reduction in a subscore of tremor rating scale (TRS) post-DBS lateralized to the more affected limb.

Results

Sixty-eight ET patients were enrolled after initial screening, of these 10 ET and 24 ET-plus patients were included in the final analyses. ET group had an earlier age at onset (p = 0.185) and underwent surgery at a younger age (p = 0.096). Both groups achieved effective tremor control. No significant differences were found in lead placement or VTA overlap within ventral thalamus. The VTA center of gravity (COG) in the ET-plus cohort was located dorsal to that of the ET cohort. No significant differences were found in VTA overlap with the dentato-rubral-thalamic (DRTT) tracts or the ansa lenticularis. Dystonia was more prevalent than ataxia in the ET-plus subgroups (n = 18 and n = 5, respectively). ET-plus with dystonia subgroup had a more medial COG compared to ET-plus with ataxia.

Conclusion

VIM DBS therapy is efficacious in patients with ET and ET-plus. There were no significant differences in optimal stimulation site or VTA overlap with white-matter tracts between ET, ET-plus and ET-plus subgroups.

Automatic planning of MR-guided transcranial focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor

Introduction

Transcranial focused ultrasound therapy (tcFUS) offers precise thermal ablation for treating Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. However, the manual fine-tuning of fiber tracking and segmentation required for accurate treatment planning is time-consuming and demands expert knowledge of complex neuroimaging tools. This raises the question of whether a fully automated pipeline is feasible or if manual intervention remains necessary.

Methods

We investigate the dependence on fiber tractography algorithms, segmentation approaches, and degrees of automation, specifically for essential tremor therapy planning. For that purpose, we compare an automatic pipeline with a manual approach that requires the manual definition of the target point and is based on FMRIB software library (FSL) and other open-source tools.

Results

Our findings demonstrate the high feasibility of automatic fiber tracking and the automated determination of standard treatment coordinates. Employing an automatic fiber tracking approach and deep learning (DL)-supported standard coordinate calculation, we achieve anatomically meaningful results comparable to a manually performed FSL-based pipeline. Individual cases may still exhibit variations, often stemming from differences in region of interest (ROI) segmentation. Notably, the DL-based approach outperforms registration-based methods in producing accurate segmentations. Precise ROI segmentation proves crucial, surpassing the importance of fine-tuning parameters or selecting algorithms. Correct thalamus and red nucleus segmentation play vital roles in ensuring accurate pathway computation.

Conclusion

This study highlights the potential for automation in fiber tracking algorithms for tcFUS therapy, but acknowledges the ongoing need for expert verification and integration of anatomical expertise in treatment planning.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Unilateral Deep Brain Stimulation Targeting the Caudal Zona Incerta in 13 Patients with Parkinsonian Tremor

INTRODUCTION

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) and other movement disorders. The ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus is considered as the target of choice for tremor disorders, including tremor-dominant PD not suitable for DBS in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). In the last decade, several studies have shown promising results on tremor from DBS in the posterior subthalamic area (PSA), including the caudal zona incerta (cZi) located posteromedial to the STN. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of unilateral cZi/PSA-DBS in patients with tremor-dominant PD.

METHODS

Thirteen patients with PD with medically refractory tremor were included. The patients were evaluated using the motor part of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) off/on medication before surgery and off/on medication and stimulation 1-2 years (short-term) after surgery and at a minimum of 3 years after surgery (long-term).

RESULTS

At short-term follow-up, DBS improved contralateral tremor by 88% in the off-medication state. This improvement persisted after a mean of 62 months. Contralateral bradykinesia was improved by 40% at short-term and 20% at long-term follow-up, and the total UPDRS-III by 33% at short-term and by 22% at long-term follow-up with stimulation alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral cZi/PSA-DBS seems to remain an effective treatment for patients with severe Parkinsonian tremor several years after surgery. There was also a modest improvement on bradykinesia.

Subacute alpha frequency (10Hz) subthalamic stimulation for emotional processing in Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric comorbidities are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may change with high-frequency stimulation targeting the subthalamic nucleus. Numerous accounts indicate subthalamic alpha-frequency oscillation is implicated in emotional processing. While intermittent alpha-frequency (10Hz) stimulation induces positive emotional effects, with more ventromedial contacts inducing larger effects, little is known about the subacute effect of ventral 10Hz subthalamic stimulation on emotional processing.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS

To evaluate the subacute effect of 10Hz stimulation at bilateral ventral subthalamic nucleus on emotional processing in PD patients using an affective task, compared to that of clinical-frequency stimulation and off-stimulation.

METHODS

Twenty PD patients with bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation for more than six months were tested with the affective task under three stimulation conditions (10Hz, 130Hz, and off-stimulation) in a double-blinded randomized design.

RESULTS

While 130Hz stimulation reduced arousal ratings in all patients, 10Hz stimulation increased arousal selectively in patients with higher depression scores. Furthermore, 10Hz stimulation induced a positive shift in valence rating to negative emotional stimuli in patients with lower apathy scores, and 130Hz stimulation led to more positive valence to emotional stimuli in the patients with higher apathy scores. Notably, we found correlational relationships between stimulation site and affective rating: arousal ratings increase with stimulation from anterior to posterior site, and positive valence ratings increase with stimulation from dorsal to ventral site of the ventral subthalamic nucleus.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the distinctive role of 10Hz stimulation on subjective emotional experience and unveil the spatial organization of the stimulation effect.

Chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of zona incerta GABAergic neurons ameliorates motor impairment in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and leads to progressive motor dysfunction. While studies have focused on the basal ganglia network, recent evidence suggests neuronal systems outside the basal ganglia are also related to PD pathogenesis. The zona incerta (ZI) is a predominantly inhibitory subthalamic region for global behavioral modulation. This study investigates the role of GABAergic neurons in the ZI in a mouse model of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD. First, we found a decrease in GABA-positive neurons in the ZI, and then the mice used chemogenetic/optogenetic stimulation to activate or inhibit GABAergic neurons. The motor performance of PD mice was significantly improved by chemogenetic/optogenetic activation of GABAergic neurons, and repeated chemogenetic activation of ZI GABAergic neurons increased the dopamine content in the striatum. Our work identifies the role of ZI GABAergic neurons in regulating motor behaviors in 6-OHDA-lesioned PD model mice.

Displaced center of pressure on the treated side in individuals with essential tremor after radiofrequency ablation: a longitudinal case-control study

Background

Essential tremor (ET) is a common involuntary movement disorder (IMD). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus is a stereotactic neurosurgery performed in individuals with ET when pharmacotherapy is no longer effective. Though the reasons remain largely unclear, certain adverse events are known to appear post-RFA. These may be due to functional changes in the Vim, related to RFA-induced tremor reduction, or an adverse reaction to compensatory movement patterns used to perform movements in the presence of tremor symptoms.

Objective

This study aimed to understand the characteristics of post-RFA symptoms in individuals with ET.

Methods

In a longitudinal case-control study, we compared post-RFA symptoms between individuals with ET who underwent Vim-targeted RFA and those with IMD who underwent non-Vim-targeted RFA. Symptoms were compared preoperatively and 1-week and 1-month postoperatively. Quantitative assessments included center-of-pressure (COP) parameters, grip strength, Mini-Mental State Examination, two verbal fluency tests, and three types of physical performance assessments (upper extremity ability, balance ability, and gait ability).

Results

Individuals with ET after RFA showed horizontal displacements of the COP to the treated side (the dominant side of the RFA target's hemisphere) at 1-week postoperatively compared to the preoperative period. The horizontal COP displacement was associated with balance dysfunction related to postural stability post-RFA. Other COP parameters did not significantly differ between the ET and IMD groups.

Conclusion

COP displacement to the treated side may be due to a time lag in adjusting postural holding strategies to the long-standing lateral difference in tremor symptoms associated with tremor improvement after RFA.

Magnetic Resonance-Guided focused ultrasound surgery for Parkinson's disease: A mini-review and comparison between deep brain stimulation

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a new surgical treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous experience with radiofrequency lesionectomy and deep brain stimulation (DBS) has identified several candidate targets for MRgFUS intended to alleviate the motor symptoms of PD. The main advantage of MRgFUS is that it is incisionless. MRgFUS has certain limitations and is associated with adverse effects. The present study reviews the literature on conventional surgical interventions for PD, discusses recent studies on MRgFUS, and the comparison between DBS and MRgFUS for PD. The reviews aims to provide an essential reference for neurologists to select the appropriate treatments for patients with PD.

Whole-brain network transitions within the framework of ignition and transfer entropy following VIM-MRgFUS in essential tremor patients

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) lesioning of the ventralis intermedius nucleus (VIM) has shown promise in treating drug-refractory essential tremor (ET). It remains unknown whether focal VIM lesions by MRgFUS have broader restorative effects on information flow within the whole-brain network of ET patients. We applied an information-theoretical approach based on intrinsic ignition and the concept of transfer entropy (TE) to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics after VIM-MRgFUS. Eighteen ET patients (mean age 71.44 years) underwent repeated 3T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) assessments one day before (T0) and one month (T1) and six months (T2) post-MRgFUS, respectively. We observed increased whole brain ignition-driven mean integration (IDMI) at T1 (p < 0.05), along with trend increases at T2. Further, constraining to motor network nodes, we identified significant increases in information-broadcasting (bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) and left cerebellar lobule III) and information-receiving (right precentral gyrus) at T1. Remarkably, increased information-broadcasting in bilateral SMA was correlated with relative improvement of the CRST in the treated hand. In addition, causal TE-based effective connectivity (EC) at T1 showed an increase from right SMA to left cerebellar lobule crus II and from left cerebellar lobule III to right thalamus. In conclusion, results suggest a change in information transmission capacity in ET after MRgFUS and a shift towards a more integrated functional state with increased levels of global and directional information flow.

Current applications for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a novel and minimally invasive technology. Since the US Food and Drug Administration approved unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus-MRgFUS for medication-refractory essential tremor in 2016, studies on new indications, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), psychiatric diseases, and brain tumors, have been on the rise, and MRgFUS has become a promising method to treat such neurological diseases. Currently, as the second most common degenerative disease, PD is a research hotspot in the field of MRgFUS. The actions of MRgFUS on the brain range from thermoablation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening, to neuromodulation. Intensity is a key determinant of ultrasound actions. Generally, high intensity can be used to precisely thermoablate brain targets, whereas low intensity can be used as molecular therapies to modulate neuronal activity and open the BBB in conjunction with injected microbubbles. Here, we aimed to summarize advances in the application of MRgFUS for the treatment of PD, with a focus on thermal ablation, BBB opening, and neuromodulation, in the hope of informing clinicians of current applications.

Lateral cerebellothalamic tract activation underlies DBS therapy for Essential Tremor

BACKGROUND

While deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy can be effective at suppressing tremor in individuals with medication-refractory Essential Tremor, patient outcome variability remains a significant challenge across centers. Proximity of active electrodes to the cerebellothalamic tract (CTT) is likely important in suppressing tremor, but how tremor control and side effects relate to targeting parcellations within the CTT and other pathways in and around the ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus of thalamus remain unclear.

METHODS

Using ultra-high field (7T) MRI, we developed high-dimensional, subject-specific pathway activation models for 23 directional DBS leads. Modeled pathway activations were compared with post-hoc analysis of clinician-optimized DBS settings, paresthesia thresholds, and dysarthria thresholds. Mixed-effect models were utilized to determine how the six parcellated regions of the CTT and how six other pathways in and around the VIM contributed to tremor suppression and induction of side effects.

RESULTS

The lateral portion of the CTT had the highest activation at clinical settings (p < 0.05) and a significant effect on tremor suppression (p < 0.001). Activation of the medial lemniscus and posterior-medial CTT was significantly associated with severity of paresthesias (p < 0.001). Activation of the anterior-medial CTT had a significant association with dysarthria (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a detailed understanding of the fiber pathways responsible for therapy and side effects of DBS for Essential Tremor, and suggests a model-based programming approach will enable more selective activation of lateral fibers within the CTT.

Connectomic Basis for Tremor Control in Stereotactic Radiosurgical Thalamotomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Given the increased use of stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy and other ablative therapies for tremor, new biomarkers are needed to improve outcomes. Using resting-state fMRI and MR tractography, we hypothesized that a "connectome fingerprint" can predict tremor outcomes and potentially serve as a targeting biomarker for stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated 27 patients who underwent unilateral stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy for essential tremor or tremor-predominant Parkinson disease. Percentage postoperative improvement in the contralateral limb Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Clinical Tremor Rating Scale (TRS) was the primary end point. Connectome-style resting-state fMRI and MR tractography were performed before stereotactic radiosurgery. Using the final lesion volume as a seed, "connectivity fingerprints" representing ideal connectivity maps were generated as whole-brain R-maps using a voxelwise nonparametric Spearman correlation. A leave-one-out cross-validation was performed using the generated R-maps.

RESULTS

The mean improvement in the contralateral tremor score was 55.1% (SD, 38.9%) at a mean follow-up of 10.0 (SD, 5.0) months. Structural connectivity correlated with contralateral TRS improvement (r = 0.52; P  = .006) and explained 27.0% of the variance in outcome. Functional connectivity correlated with contralateral TRS improvement (r = 0.50; P  = .008) and explained 25.0% of the variance in outcome. Nodes most correlated with tremor improvement corresponded to areas of known network dysfunction in tremor, including the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway and the primary and extrastriate visual cortices.

CONCLUSIONS

Stereotactic radiosurgical targets with a distinct connectivity profile predict improvement in tremor after treatment. Such connectomic fingerprints show promise for developing patient-specific biomarkers to guide therapy with stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy.

A case report: Dual-lead deep brain stimulation of the posterior subthalamic area and the thalamus was effective for Holmes tremor after unsuccessful focused ultrasound thalamotomy

Holmes tremor is a symptomatic tremor that develops secondary to central nervous system disorders. Stereotactic neuromodulation is considered when the tremors are intractable. Targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) is common; however, the outcome is often unsatisfactory, and the posterior subthalamic area (PSA) is expected as alternative target. In this study, we report the case of a patient with intractable Holmes tremor who underwent dual-lead deep brain stimulation (DBS) to stimulate multiple locations in the PSA and thalamus. The patient was a 77-year-old female who complained of severe tremor in her left upper extremity that developed one year after her right thalamic infarction. Vim-thalamotomy using focused ultrasound therapy (FUS) was initially performed but failed to control tremor. Subsequently, we performed DBS using two leads to stimulate four different structures. Accordingly, one lead was implanted with the aim of targeting the ventral oralis nucleus (Vo)/zona incerta (Zi), and the other with the aim of targeting the Vim/prelemniscal radiation (Raprl). Electrode stimulation revealed that Raprl and Zi had obvious effects. Postoperatively, the patient achieved good tremor control without any side effects, which was maintained for two years. Considering that she demonstrated resting, postural, and intention/action tremor, and Vim-thalamotomy by FUS was insufficient for tremor control, complicated pathogenesis was presumed in her symptoms including both the cerebellothalamic and the pallidothalamic pathways. Using the dual-lead DBS technique, we have more choices to adjust the stimulation at multiple sites, where different functional networks are connected. Intractable tremors, such as Holmes tremor, may have complicated pathology, therefore, modulating multiple pathological networks is necessary. We suggest that the dual-lead DBS (Vo/Raprl and Vim/Zi) presented here is safe, technically feasible, and possibly effective for the control of Holmes tremor.

In vivo probabilistic atlas of white matter tracts of the human subthalamic area combining track density imaging and optimized diffusion tractography

The human subthalamic area is a region of high anatomical complexity, tightly packed with tiny fiber bundles. Some of them, including the pallidothalamic, cerebello-thalamic, and mammillothalamic tracts, are relevant targets in functional neurosurgery for various brain diseases. Diffusion-weighted imaging-based tractography has been suggested as a useful tool to map white matter pathways in the human brain in vivo and non-invasively, though the reconstruction of these specific fiber bundles is challenging due to their small dimensions and complex anatomy. To the best of our knowledge, a population-based, in vivo probabilistic atlas of subthalamic white matter tracts is still missing. In the present work, we devised an optimized tractography protocol for reproducible reconstruction of the tracts of subthalamic area in a large data sample from the Human Connectome Project repository. First, we leveraged the super-resolution properties and high anatomical detail provided by short tracks track-density imaging (stTDI) to identify the white matter bundles of the subthalamic area on a group-level template. Tracts identification on the stTDI template was also aided by visualization of histological sections of human specimens. Then, we employed this anatomical information to drive tractography at the subject-level, optimizing tracking parameters to maximize between-subject and within-subject similarities as well as anatomical accuracy. Finally, we gathered subject level tracts reconstructed with optimized tractography into a large-scale, normative population atlas. We suggest that this atlas could be useful in both clinical anatomy and functional neurosurgery settings, to improve our understanding of the complex morphology of this important brain region.

Mapping the subcortical connectome using in vivo diffusion MRI: Feasibility and reliability

Tractography combined with regions of interest (ROIs) has been used to non-invasively study the structural connectivity of the cortex as well as to assess the reliability of these connections. However, the subcortical connectome (subcortex to subcortex) has not been comprehensively examined, in part due to the difficulty of performing tractography in this complex and compact region. In this study, we performed an in vivo investigation using tractography to assess the feasibility and reliability of mapping known connections between structures of the subcortex using the test-retest dataset from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We further validated our observations using a separate unrelated subjects dataset from the HCP. Quantitative assessment was performed by computing tract densities and spatial overlap of identified connections between subcortical ROIs. Further, known connections between structures of the basal ganglia and thalamus were identified and visually inspected, comparing tractography reconstructed trajectories with descriptions from tract-tracing studies. Our observations demonstrate both the feasibility and reliability of using a data-driven tractography-based approach to map the subcortical connectome in vivo.

Unilateral Campotomy of Forel for Acquired Hemidystonia: An Open-Label Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Hemidystonia (HD) is characterized by unilateral involuntary torsion movements and fixed postures of the limbs and face. It often develops after deleterious neuroplastic changes secondary to injuries to the brain. This condition usually responds poorly to medical treatment, and deep brain stimulation often yields unsatisfactory results. We propose this study based on encouraging results from case reports of patients with HD treated by ablative procedures in the subthalamic region.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of stereotactic-guided radiofrequency lesioning of the subthalamic area vs available medical treatment in patients suffering from acquired HD.

METHODS

This is an open-label study in patients with secondary HD allocated according to their treatment choice, either surgical or medical treatment; both groups were followed for one year. Patients assigned in the surgical group underwent unilateral campotomy of Forel. The efficacy was assessed using the Unified Dystonia Rating Scale, Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Scale, Arm Dystonia Disability Scale, and SF-36 questionnaire scores.

RESULTS

Patients in the surgical group experienced significant improvement in the Unified Dystonia Rating Scale, Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Scale, and Arm Dystonia Disability Scale (39%, 35%, and 15%, respectively) 1 year after the surgery, with positive reflex in quality-of-life measures, such as bodily pain and role-emotional process. Patients kept on medical treatment did not experience significant changes during the follow-up. No infections were recorded, and no neurological adverse events were associated with either intervention.

CONCLUSION

The unilateral stereotaxy-guided ablation of Forel H1 and H2 fields significantly improved in patients with HD compared with optimized clinical treatment.

Mice Lacking Cerebellar Cortex and Related Structures Show a Decrease in Slow-Wave Activity With Normal Non-REM Sleep Amount and Sleep Homeostasis

In addition to the well-known motor control, the cerebellum has recently been implicated in memory, cognition, addiction, and social behavior. Given that the cerebellum contains more neurons than the cerebral cortex and has tight connections to the thalamus and brainstem nuclei, it is possible that the cerebellum also regulates sleep/wakefulness. However, the role of the cerebellum in sleep was unclear, since cerebellar lesion studies inevitably involved massive inflammation in the adjacent brainstem, and sleep changes in lesion studies were not consistent with each other. Here, we examine the role of the cerebellum in sleep and wakefulness using mesencephalon- and rhombomere 1-specific Ptf1a conditional knockout (Ptf1a cKO) mice, which lack the cerebellar cortex and its related structures, and exhibit ataxic gait. Ptf1a cKO mice had similar wake and non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) time as control mice and showed reduced slow wave activity during wakefulness, NREMS and REMS. Ptf1a cKO mice showed a decrease in REMS time during the light phase and had increased NREMS delta power in response to 6 h of sleep deprivation, as did control mice. Ptf1a cKO mice also had similar numbers of sleep spindles and fear memories as control mice. Thus, the cerebellum does not appear to play a major role in sleep-wake control, but may be involved in the generation of slow waves.

Tractography-Based Surgical Targeting for Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation: A Comparison of Probabilistic vs Deterministic Fiber Tracking of the Dentato-Rubro-Thalamic Tract

BACKGROUND

The ventral intermediate (VIM) thalamic nucleus is the main target for the surgical treatment of refractory tremor. Initial targeting traditionally relies on atlas-based stereotactic targeting formulas, which only minimally account for individual anatomy. Alternative approaches have been proposed, including direct targeting of the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRTT), which, in clinical settings, is generally reconstructed with deterministic tracking. Whether more advanced probabilistic techniques are feasible on clinical-grade magnetic resonance acquisitions and lead to enhanced reconstructions is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To compare DRTT reconstructed with deterministic vs probabilistic tracking.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 19 patients with essential tremor who underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) with intraoperative neurophysiology and stimulation testing. We assessed the proximity of the DRTT to the DBS lead and to the active contact chosen based on clinical response.

RESULTS

In the commissural plane, the deterministic DRTT was anterior (P < 10-4) and lateral (P < 10-4) to the DBS lead. By contrast, although the probabilistic DRTT was also anterior to the lead (P < 10-4), there was no difference in the mediolateral dimension (P = .5). Moreover, the 3-dimensional Euclidean distance from the active contact to the probabilistic DRTT was smaller vs the distance to the deterministic DRTT (3.32 ± 1.70 mm vs 5.01 ± 2.12 mm; P < 10-4).

CONCLUSION

DRTT reconstructed with probabilistic fiber tracking was superior in spatial proximity to the physiology-guided DBS lead and to the empirically chosen active contact. These data inform strategies for surgical targeting of the VIM.

Motor Mapping with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Comparison with Electrical Cortical Stimulation

The aim of the present study was to evaluate motor area mapping using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) compared with electrical cortical stimulation (ECS). Motor mapping with fMRI and ECS were retrospectively compared in seven patients with refractory epilepsy in which the primary motor (M1) areas were identified by fMRI and ECS mapping between 2012 and 2019. A right finger tapping task was used for fMRI motor mapping. Blood oxygen level-dependent activation was detected in the left precentral gyrus (PreCG) /postcentral gyrus (PostCG) along the "hand knob" of the central sulcus in all seven patients. Bilateral supplementary motor areas (SMAs) were also activated (n = 6), and the cerebellar hemisphere showed activation on the right side (n = 3) and bilateral side (n = 4). Furthermore, the premotor area (PM) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) were also activated on the left side (n = 1) and bilateral sides (n = 2). The M1 and sensory area (S1) detected by ECS included fMRI-activated PreCG/PostCG areas with broader extent. This study showed that fMRI motor mapping was locationally well correlated to the activation of M1/S1 by ECS, but the spatial extent was not concordant. In addition, the involvement of SMA, PM/PPC, and the cerebellum in simple voluntary movement was also suggested. Combination analysis of fMRI and ECS motor mapping contributes to precise localization of M1/S1.

Unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy at Forel's field H1 for cervical dystonia

Background

Neurosurgical ablation of Forel's field H1 for cervical dystonia, which is currently abandoned, was formerly used in the 1960s–1970s. Regardless of the lack of neuroimaging modalities and objective evaluation scales, the reported efficacy was significant. Although recent studies have reappraised the ablation of the pallidothalamic tract at Forel's field H1 for Parkinson's disease, the efficacy for cervical dystonia has not been investigated well.

Methods

Data of 35 patients with cervical dystonia who underwent unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy at Forel's field H1 were retrospectively analyzed. The Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) scores, the neck score of the Burke–Fahn–Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS), and adverse events were evaluated preoperatively and at the last available follow‐up period.

Results

The mean clinical follow‐up period was 13.9 ± 6.5 months. The mean TWSTRS total scores were 34.3 ± 14.0 preoperatively and 18.4 ± 16.5 at the last available follow‐up period (46.4% improvement, p < 0.0001). The BFMDRS neck score also improved significantly from 6.2 ± 2.9 preoperatively to 2.8 ± 2.8 at the last available follow‐up period (55.0% improvement on the neck score, p < 0.0001). Reduced hand dexterity in seven patients, hypophonia in five patients, dysarthria in four patients, and executive dysfunction in one patient were confirmed as adverse events at the last available follow‐up evaluation. One patient had postoperative hemorrhage.

Conclusion

The current study confirmed significant improvement in TWSTRS total scores and BFMDRS neck scores at the 13.9‐month follow‐up after unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy. The pallidothalamic tract in Forel's field H1 is expected to be an alternative treatment target for cervical dystonia.

Probabilistic mapping reveals optimal stimulation site in essential tremor

OBJECTIVE

To obtain individual clinical and neuroimaging data of patients undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation for essential tremor from five different European centers to identify predictors of outcome and to identify an optimal stimulation site.

METHODS

We analysed retrospectively baseline covariates, pre- and postoperative clinical tremor scores (12-month) as well as individual imaging data from 119 patients to obtain individual electrode positions and stimulation volumes. Individual imaging and clinical data was used to calculate a probabilistic stimulation map in normalized space using voxel-wise statistical analysis. Finally, we used this map to train a classifier to predict tremor improvement.

RESULTS

Probabilistic mapping of stimulation effects yielded a statistically significant cluster that was associated with a tremor improvement greater than 50%. This cluster of optimal stimulation extended from the posterior subthalamic area to the ventralis intermedius nucleus and coincided with a normative structural-connectivity-based cerebello-thalamic tract (CTT). The combined features "distance between the stimulation volume and the significant cluster" and "CTT activation" were used as a predictor of tremor improvement. This correctly classified a greater than 50% tremor improvement with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 57%.

INTERPRETATION

Our multicentre ET probabilistic stimulation map identified an area of optimal stimulation along the course of the CTT. The results of this study are mainly descriptive until confirmed in independent datasets, ideally through prospective testing. This target will be made openly available and may be used to guide surgical planning and for computer-assisted programming of deep brain stimulation in the future. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Forel's Field for Dystonia: Preliminary Results

The field of Forel (FF) is a subthalamic area through which the pallidothalamic tracts originating from the globus pallidus internus (GPi) traverse. The FF was used as a stereotactic surgical target (ablation and stimulation) to treat cervical dystonia in the 1960s and 1970s. Although recent studies have reappraised the ablation and stimulation of the pallidothalamic tract at FF for Parkinson’s disease, the efficacy of deep brain stimulation of FF (FF-DBS) for dystonia has not been well investigated. To confirm the efficacy and stimulation-induced adverse effects of FF-DBS, three consecutive patients with medically refractory dystonia who underwent FF-DBS were analyzed (tongue protrusion dystonia, cranio-cervico-axial dystonia, and hemidystonia). Compared to the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale-Movement Scale scores before surgery (23.3 ± 12.7), improvements were observed at 1 week (8.3 ± 5.9), 3 months (5.3 ± 5.9), and 6 months (4.7 ± 4.7, p = 0.0282) after surgery. Two patients had stimulation-induced complications, including bradykinesia and postural instability, all well controlled by stimulation adjustments.

Clinical applications of magnetic resonance imaging based functional and structural connectivity

Advances in computational neuroimaging techniques have expanded the armamentarium of imaging tools available for clinical applications in clinical neuroscience. Non-invasive, in vivo brain MRI structural and functional network mapping has been used to identify therapeutic targets, define eloquent brain regions to preserve, and gain insight into pathological processes and treatments as well as prognostic biomarkers. These tools have the real potential to inform patient-specific treatment strategies. Nevertheless, a realistic appraisal of clinical utility is needed that balances the growing excitement and interest in the field with important limitations associated with these techniques. Quality of the raw data, minutiae of the processing methodology, and the statistical models applied can all impact on the results and their interpretation. A lack of standardization in data acquisition and processing has also resulted in issues with reproducibility. This limitation has had a direct impact on the reliability of these tools and ultimately, confidence in their clinical use. Advances in MRI technology and computational power as well as automation and standardization of processing methods, including machine learning approaches, may help address some of these issues and make these tools more reliable in clinical use. In this review, we will highlight the current clinical uses of MRI connectomics in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders; balancing emerging applications and technologies with limitations of connectivity analytic approaches to present an encompassing and appropriate perspective.

In vivo 3D Reconstruction of the Human Pallidothalamic and Nigrothalamic Pathways With Super-Resolution 7T MR Track Density Imaging and Fiber Tractography

The output network of the basal ganglia plays an important role in motor, associative, and limbic processing and is generally characterized by the pallidothalamic and nigrothalamic pathways. However, these connections in the human brain remain difficult to elucidate because of the resolution limit of current neuroimaging techniques. The present study aimed to investigate the mesoscopic nature of these connections between the thalamus, substantia nigra pars reticulata, and globus pallidus internal segment using 7 Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, track-density imaging (TDI) of the whole human brain was employed to overcome the limitations of observing the pallidothalamic and nigrothalamic tracts. Owing to the super-resolution of the TD images, the substructures of the SN, as well as the associated tracts, were identified. This study demonstrates that 7T MRI and MR tractography can be used to visualize anatomical details, as well as 3D reconstruction, of the output projections of the basal ganglia.

Connectivity correlates to predict essential tremor deep brain stimulation outcome: Evidence for a common treatment pathway

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most common surgical treatment for essential tremor (ET), yet there is variation in outcome and stimulation targets. This study seeks to consolidate proposed stimulation "sweet spots," as well as assess the value of structural connectivity in predicting treatment outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety-seven ET individuals with unilateral thalamic DBS were retrospectively included. Using normative brain connectomes, structural connectivity measures were correlated with the percentage improvement in contralateral tremor, based on the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor rating scale (TRS), after parameter optimization (range 3.1-12.9 months) using a leave-one-out cross-validation in 83 individuals. The predictive feature map was used for cross-validation in a separate cohort of 14 ET individuals treated at another center. Lastly, estimated volumes of tissue activated (VTA) were used to assess a treatment "sweet spot," which was compared to seven previously reported stimulation sweet spots and their relationship to the tract identified by the predictive feature map.

RESULTS

In the training cohort, structural connectivity between the VTA and dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRTT) correlated with contralateral tremor improvement (R = 0.41; p < 0.0001). The same connectivity profile predicted outcomes in a separate validation cohort (R = 0.59; p = 0.028). The predictive feature map represented the anatomical course of the DRTT, and all seven analyzed sweet spots overlapped the predictive tract (DRTT).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results strongly support the possibility that structural connectivity is a predictor of contralateral tremor improvement in ET DBS. The results suggest the future potential for a patient-specific functionally based surgical target. Finally, the results showed convergence in "sweet spots" suggesting the importance of the DRTT to the outcome.

A detailed analysis of anatomical plausibility of crossed and uncrossed streamline rendition of the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRT(T)) in a commercial stereotactic planning system

Background

An increasing number of neurosurgeons use display of the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRT) based on diffusion weighted imaging (dMRI) as basis for their routine planning of stimulation or lesioning approaches in stereotactic tremor surgery. An evaluation of the anatomical validity of the display of the DRT with respect to modern stereotactic planning systems and across different tracking environments has not been performed.

Methods

Distinct dMRI and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of high and low quality from 9 subjects were used. Six subjects had repeated MRI scans and therefore entered the analysis twice. Standardized DICOM structure templates for volume of interest definition were applied in native space for all investigations. For tracking BrainLab Elements (BrainLab, Munich, Germany), two tensor deterministic tracking (FT2), MRtrix IFOD2 (https://www.mrtrix.org), and a global tracking (GT) approach were used to compare the display of the uncrossed (DRTu) and crossed (DRTx) fiber structure after transformation into MNI space. The resulting streamlines were investigated for congruence, reproducibility, anatomical validity, and penetration of anatomical way point structures.

Results

In general, the DRTu can be depicted with good quality (as judged by waypoints). FT2 (surgical) and GT (neuroscientific) show high congruence. While GT shows partly reproducible results for DRTx, the crossed pathway cannot be reliably reconstructed with the other (iFOD2 and FT2) algorithms.

Conclusion

Since a direct anatomical comparison is difficult in the individual subjects, we chose a comparison with two research tracking environments as the best possible “ground truth.” FT2 is useful especially because of its manual editing possibilities of cutting erroneous fibers on the single subject level. An uncertainty of 2 mm as mean displacement of DRTu is expectable and should be respected when using this approach for surgical planning. Tractographic renditions of the DRTx on the single subject level seem to be still illusive.

Unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy for akinetic-rigid Parkinson's disease: a prospective open-label study

OBJECTIVE

Neurosurgical ablation is an effective treatment for medically refractory motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). A limited number of studies have reported the effect of ablation of the pallidothalamic tract for PD. In this study, the authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy for akinetic-rigid (AR)-PD.

METHODS

Fourteen AR-PD patients, who were enrolled in this prospective open-label study, underwent unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy. The Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III and Part IV (dyskinesia and dystonia) scores and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) were evaluated at baseline and at 3 and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Of the 14 patients enrolled in the study, 4 were lost to follow-up and 10 were analyzed. The total MDS-UPDRS Part III score significantly improved from 45 ± 4.6 at baseline to 32.9 ± 4.8 at 12 months postoperatively (p = 0.005). Contralateral side rigidity and bradykinesia significantly improved from 4.4 ± 0.5 and 10.4 ± 1.5 at baseline to 1.7 ± 0.4 (p = 0.005) and 5.2 ± 1.4 (p = 0.011) at 12 months, respectively. While posture significantly improved with a 20% reduction in scores (p = 0.038), no significant improvement was found in gait (p = 0.066). Dyskinesia and dystonia were improved with a 79.2% (p = 0.0012) and 91.7% (p = 0.041) reduction in scores, respectively. No significant change was found in the LEDD. Hypophonia was noted in 2 patients, eyelid apraxia was noted in 1 patient, and a reduced response to levodopa, which resulted in an increase in the daily dose of levodopa, was noted in 3 patients. No serious permanent neurological deficits were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy improved contralateral side rigidity and bradykinesia, dyskinesia, and dystonia in patients with AR-PD. Clinical trial registration no.: UMIN000031138 (umin.ac.jp).

Ventralis intermedius nucleus anatomical variability assessment by MRI structural connectivity

The ventralis intermedius nucleus (Vim) is centrally placed in the dentato-thalamo-cortical pathway (DTCp) and is a key surgical target in the treatment of severe medically refractory tremor. It is not visible on conventional MRI sequences; consequently, stereotactic targeting currently relies on atlas-based coordinates. This fails to capture individual anatomical variability, which may lead to poor long-term clinical efficacy. Probabilistic tractography, combined with known anatomical connectivity, enables localisation of thalamic nuclei at an individual subject level. There are, however, a number of confounds associated with this technique that may influence results. Here we focused on an established method, using probabilistic tractography to reconstruct the DTCp, to identify the connectivity-defined Vim (cd-Vim) in vivo. Using 100 healthy individuals from the Human Connectome Project, our aim was to quantify cd-Vim variability across this population, measure the discrepancy with atlas-defined Vim (ad-Vim), and assess the influence of potential methodological confounds. We found no significant effect of any of the confounds. The mean cd-Vim coordinate was located within 1.88 mm (left) and 2.12 mm (right) of the average midpoint and 3.98 mm (left) and 5.41 mm (right) from the ad-Vim coordinates. cd-Vim location was more variable on the right, which reflects hemispheric asymmetries in the probabilistic DTC reconstructed. The method was reproducible, with no significant cd-Vim location differences in a separate test-retest cohort. The superior cerebellar peduncle was identified as a potential source of artificial variance. This work demonstrates significant individual anatomical variability of the cd-Vim that atlas-based coordinate targeting fails to capture. This variability was not related to any methodological confound tested. Lateralisation of cerebellar functions, such as speech, may contribute to the observed asymmetry. Tractography-based methods seem sensitive to individual anatomical variability that is missed by conventional neurosurgical targeting; these findings may form the basis for translational tools to improve efficacy and reduce side-effects of thalamic surgery for tremor.

Ventral intermediate nucleus structural connectivity-derived segmentation: anatomical reliability and variability

The Ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of thalamus is the most targeted structure for the treatment of drug-refractory tremors. Since methodological differences across existing studies are remarkable and no gold-standard pipeline is available, in this study, we tested different parcellation pipelines for tractography-derived putative Vim identification. Thalamic parcellation was performed on a high quality, multi-shell dataset and a downsampled, clinical-like dataset using two different diffusion signal modeling techniques and two different voxel classification criteria, thus implementing a total of four parcellation pipelines. The most reliable pipeline in terms of inter-subject variability has been picked and parcels putatively corresponding to motor thalamic nuclei have been selected by calculating similarity with a histology-based mask of Vim. Then, spatial relations with optimal stimulation points for the treatment of essential tremor have been quantified. Finally, effect of data quality and parcellation pipelines on a volumetric index of connectivity clusters has been assessed. We found that the pipeline characterized by higher-order signal modeling and threshold-based voxel classification criteria was the most reliable in terms of inter-subject variability regardless data quality. The maps putatively corresponding to Vim were those derived by precentral and dentate nucleus-thalamic connectivity. However, tractography-derived functional targets showed remarkable differences in shape and sizes when compared to a ground truth model based on histochemical staining on seriate sections of human brain. Thalamic voxels connected to contralateral dentate nucleus resulted to be the closest to literature-derived stimulation points for essential tremor but at the same time showing the most remarkable inter-subject variability. Finally, the volume of connectivity parcels resulted to be significantly influenced by data quality and parcellation pipelines. Hence, caution is warranted when performing thalamic connectivity-based segmentation for stereotactic targeting.

DTI for brain targeting: Diffusion weighted imaging fiber tractography-Assisted deep brain stimulation

Fiber tractography assisted Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been performed by different groups for more than 10 years to now. Groups around the world have adapted initial approaches to currently embrace the fiber tractography technology mainly for treating tremor (DBS and lesions), psychiatric indications (OCD and major depression) and pain (DBS). Despite the advantages of directly visualizing the target structure, the technology is demanding and is vulnerable to inaccuracies especially since it is performed on individual level. In this contribution, we will focus on tremor and psychiatric indications, and will show future applications of sophisticated tractography applications for subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS surgery and stimulation steering as an example.

Deep Brain Stimulation of Caudal Zona Incerta for Parkinson's Disease: One-Year Follow-Up and Electric Field Simulations

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of bilateral caudal zona incerta (cZi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) one year after surgery and to create anatomical improvement maps based on patient-specific simulation of the electric field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We report the one-year results of bilateral cZi-DBS in 15 patients with PD. Patients were evaluated on/off medication and stimulation using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Main outcomes were changes in motor symptoms (UPDRS-III) and quality of life according to Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). Secondary outcomes included efficacy profile according to sub-items of UPDRS-III, and simulation of the electric field distribution around the DBS lead using the finite element method. Simulations from all patients were transformed to one common magnetic resonance imaging template space for creation of improvement maps and anatomical evaluation.

RESULTS

Median UPDRS-III score off medication improved from 40 at baseline to 21 on stimulation at one-year follow-up (48%, p < 0.0005). PDQ-39 summary index did not change but the subdomains activities of daily living (ADL) and stigma improved (25%, p < 0.03 and 75%, p < 0.01), whereas communication worsened (p < 0.03). For UPDRS-III sub-items, stimulation alone reduced median tremor score by 9 points, akinesia by 3, and rigidity by 2 points at one-year follow-up in comparison to baseline (90%, 25%, and 29% respectively, p < 0.01). Visual analysis of the anatomical improvement maps based on simulated electrical fields showed no evident relation with the degree of symptom improvement and neither did statistical analysis show any significant correlation.

CONCLUSIONS

Bilateral cZi-DBS alleviates motor symptoms, especially tremor, and improves ADL and stigma in PD patients one year after surgery. Improvement maps may be a useful tool for visualizing the spread of the electric field. However, there was no clear-cut relation between anatomical location of the electric field and the degree of symptom relief.

Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy for Tremor-dominant Parkinson's Disease: A Prospective 1-year Follow-up Study

Transcranial magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) therapy is an emerging and minimally invasive treatment for movement disorders. There are limited reports on its long-term outcomes for tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease (TDPD). We aimed to investigate the 1-year outcomes of ventralis intermedius (VIM) thalamotomy with FUS in patients with TDPD. Patients with medication-refractory TDPD were enrolled and underwent unilateral VIM-FUS thalamotomy. Neurologists specializing in movement disorders evaluated the tremor symptoms and disability using Parts A, B, and C of the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) at baseline and at 1, 3, and 12 months. In all, 11 patients (mean age: 71.6 years) were included in the analysis. Of these, five were men. The median (interquartile range) improvement from baseline in hand tremor score, the total score, and functional disability score were 87.9% (70.5-100.0), 65.3% (55.7-87.7), and 66.7% (15.5-85.1), respectively, at 12 months postoperatively. This prospective study demonstrated an improvement in the tremor and disability of patients at 12 months after unilateral VIM-FUS thalamotomy for TDPD. In addition, there were no serious persistent adverse events. Our results indicate that VIM-FUS thalamotomy can be safely and effectively used to treat patients with TDPD. A randomized controlled trial with a larger cohort and long blinded period would help investigate the recurrence, adverse effects, placebo effects, and longer efficacy of this technique.

Fields of Forel Brain Stimulation Improves Levodopa-Unresponsive Gait and Balance Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND

Gait and balance disturbance are challenging symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Anatomic and clinical data suggest that the fields of Forel may be a potential surgical target to treat these symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether bilateral stimulation centered at the fields of Forel improves levodopa unresponsive freezing of gait (FOG), balance problems, postural instability, and falls in PD.

METHODS

A total of 13 patients with levodopa-unresponsive gait disturbance (Hoehn and Yahr stage ≥3) were included. Patients were evaluated before (on-medication condition) and 1 yr after surgery (on-medication-on-stimulation condition). Motor symptoms and quality of life were assessed with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale (UPDRS III) and Quality of Life scale (PDQ-39). Clinical and instrumented analyses assessed gait, balance, postural instability, and falls.

RESULTS

Surgery improved balance by 43% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.2-36.4 to 35.2-47.1; P = .0012), reduced FOG by 35% (95% CI: 15.1-20.3 to 8.1-15.3; P = .0021), and the monthly number of falls by 82.2% (95% CI: 2.2-6.9 to -0.2-1.7; P = .0039). Anticipatory postural adjustments, velocity to turn, and postural sway measurements also improved 1 yr after deep brain stimulation (DBS). UPDRS III motor scores were reduced by 27.2% postoperatively (95% CI: 42.6-54.3 to 30.2-40.5; P < .0001). Quality of life improved 27.5% (95% CI: 34.6-48.8 to 22.4-37.9; P = .0100).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that DBS of the fields of Forel improved motor symptoms in PD, as well as the FOG, falls, balance, postural instability, and quality of life.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Tremor and Dystonia

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most commonly used surgical treatment for drug-refractory movement disorders such as tremor and dystonia. Appropriate patient selection along with target selection is important to ensure optimal outcome without complications. This review summarizes the recent literature regarding the mechanism of action, indications, outcome, and complications of DBS in tremor and dystonia. A comparison with other modalities of surgical interventions is discussed along with a note of the recent advances in technology. Future research needs to be directed to understand the underlying etiopathogenesis of the disease and the way in which DBS modulates the intracranial abnormal networks.