Psychological Aspects of the Stereotactic Treatment of Parkinsonism

Abstract

The beneficial clinical effects of stereotactic lesions in the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus in the treatment of Parkinsonism are well established. Studies of the cognitive and personality changes, however, have given contradictory results. This may be due to the great variety of tests used, to lack of control groups and to the fact that some investigators have studied only unilateral operations, whereas others have included some patients operated on bilaterally. Changes, presumably permanent, have been reported in intelligence (Jurko and Andy, 1961; Lenshoek and Manem, 1960; Niehbuhr, 1962; Jurko and Andy, 1964); concept formation (Jurko and Andy, 1961); extraversion (Fortin, 1960; Jurko and Andy, 1961); and anxiety (Niehbuhr, 1962). Transient changes have been reported in intelligence (Riklan, 1961; Levita et al., 1964); human figure drawing (Riklan et al., 1962); integrity of personality (Fortin et al., 1961; Fortin, 1960; Riklan, 1961); and somatosensory status (Proctor et al., 1963). In other studies no change was found following the operation (Bravo and Cooper, 1959; Gillingham et al., 1960; Gillingham et al., 1964; Levita and Riklan, 1965; Muller and Yasargil, 1959; Riklan, 1962).