Results by motor cortex stimulation in treatment of focal dystonia, Parkinson's disease and post-ictal spasticity. The experience of the Italian Study Group of the Italian Neurosurgical Society

Extradural motor cortex stimulation has be en employed in cases of Parkinson's disease (PD), fixed dystonia (FD) and spastic hemiparesis (SH) following cerebral stroke. Symptoms of PD are improved by EMCS: results were evaluated on the basis of the UPDRS and statisti- cally analysed. In PD EMCS is less efficacious than bilateral subtha- lamic nucleus (STN) stimulation, but it may be safely employed in patients not eligible for deep brain stimulation (DBS). The most reward- ing effect is the improvement, in severely affected patients, of posture and gait. FD, unresponsive to bilateral pallidal stimulation, has been re- lieved by EDMS. In SH reduction of spasticiy by EMCS allows im- provement of the motor function. Keywords: Extradural motor cortex stimulation; Parkinson's disease; fixed dystonia; spastic hemiparesis; posture and gait disturbances.