Improvement of memory guided saccades in parkinsonian patients by high frequency subthalamic nucleus stimulation
- Sophie Rivaud-Péchouxa,
- Anne-Isabelle Vermerscha,
- Bertrand Gaymardb,
- Christoph J Plonere,
- Boulos P Bejjanic,
- Philippe Damierc,
- Sophie Demeretc,
- Yves Agida,
- Charles Pierrot-Deseillignyd
- aINSERM U289, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France, bExplorations fonctionnelles du système nerveux, cCentre d'investigation clinique, dService de Neurologie, eKlinik für Neurologie, Charité, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany
- Dr S Rivaud-Péchoux, INSERM U289, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France email rivaud{at}ccr.jussieu.fr
- Received 9 June 1999
- Revised 12 October 1999
- Accepted 28 October 1999
Abstract
Recent studies in the monkey suggest that the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is involved in control of eye movement, yet its functional significance in humans is unknown. Saccadic eye movements were studied in eight parkinsonian patients treated by bilateral electrical stimulation of the STN. STN stimulation improved the accuracy of memory guided saccades but not of reflexive visually guided saccades and had no effect on the antisaccade task. This study shows that, by contrast with levodopa, STN stimulation improves memory guided saccade deficits, and illustrates for the first time in humans the role of the STN in the control of purposive saccades.
