What is dorso-lateral in the subthalamic Nucleus (STN)?--a topographic and anatomical consideration on the ambiguous description of today's primary target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery

Volker A Coenen; Andreas Prescher; Thorsten Schmidt; Piero Picozzi; Frans L H Gielen

doi:10.1007/s00701-008-0136-x

What is dorso-lateral in the subthalamic Nucleus (STN)?--a topographic and anatomical consideration on the ambiguous description of today's primary target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery

Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2008 Nov;150(11):1163-5; discussion 1165. doi: 10.1007/s00701-008-0136-x. Epub 2008 Oct 29.

Authors

Volker A Coenen¹, Andreas Prescher, Thorsten Schmidt, Piero Picozzi, Frans L H Gielen

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. vacoenen@aol.com

PMID: 18958389
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-008-0136-x

Abstract

Introduction: The most frequently used target for DBS in advanced Parkinson Disease (PD) is the sensorimotor subthalamic nucleus (STN), anatomically referred to as dorso-lateral STN [3]. Ambiguities arise, regarding the true meaning of this description in the STN. Does "dorsal" indicate posterior or superior? At its best, this definition assigns two directions in space to a three-dimensional structure.

Objective: This paper evaluates the ambiguity and describes the sensorimotor part of the STN in stereotactic space.

MeSH terms

Basal Ganglia / anatomy & histology
Brain Mapping / methods
Brain Stem / anatomy & histology
Deep Brain Stimulation / methods*
Diencephalon / anatomy & histology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Neuronavigation / methods
Parkinson Disease / physiopathology
Parkinson Disease / therapy*
Preoperative Care / methods
Stereotaxic Techniques / standards*
Substantia Nigra / anatomy & histology
Subthalamic Nucleus / anatomy & histology*