Abstract
A 48-year-old woman with a stimulating electrode implanted in the right thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis developed compulsive self-stimulation associated with erotic sensations and changes in autonomic and neurologic function. Stimulation effects were evaluated by neuropsychologic testing, endocrine studies, positron emission tomographic measurements of regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, EEG and evoked potentials. During stimulation, vital signs and pupillary diameter increased and a left hemiparesis and left hemisensory loss developed. Verbal functions deteriorated and visuospatial processing improved. Plasma growth hormone concentrations decreased, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol levels rose. With stimulation, glucose metabolism increased in both thalami and both hemispheres, reversing baseline right-sided hypometabolism and right-left asymmetries. EEG and both somatosensory and brain-stem auditory evoked potentials remained unchanged during stimulation, while visual evoked potentials revealed evidence of anterior visual pathway dysfunction in the left eye. This case establishes the potential for addiction to deep brain stimulation and demonstrates that widespread behavioral and physiological changes, with concomitant alteration in the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, may accompany unilateral thalamic stimulation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 277-290 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Pain |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1986 |
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Keywords
- deep brain stimulation
- self-stimulation
- thalamus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Neuroscience(all)
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Cite this
Compulsive thalamic self-stimulation : A case with metabolic, electrophysiologic and behavioral correlates. / Portenoy, Russell K.; Jarden, Jens O.; Sidtis, John J.; Lipton, Richard B.; Foley, Kathleen M.; Rottenberg, David A.
In: Pain, Vol. 27, No. 3, 1986, p. 277-290.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Compulsive thalamic self-stimulation
T2 - A case with metabolic, electrophysiologic and behavioral correlates
AU - Portenoy, Russell K.
AU - Jarden, Jens O.
AU - Sidtis, John J.
AU - Lipton, Richard B.
AU - Foley, Kathleen M.
AU - Rottenberg, David A.
PY - 1986
Y1 - 1986
N2 - A 48-year-old woman with a stimulating electrode implanted in the right thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis developed compulsive self-stimulation associated with erotic sensations and changes in autonomic and neurologic function. Stimulation effects were evaluated by neuropsychologic testing, endocrine studies, positron emission tomographic measurements of regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, EEG and evoked potentials. During stimulation, vital signs and pupillary diameter increased and a left hemiparesis and left hemisensory loss developed. Verbal functions deteriorated and visuospatial processing improved. Plasma growth hormone concentrations decreased, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol levels rose. With stimulation, glucose metabolism increased in both thalami and both hemispheres, reversing baseline right-sided hypometabolism and right-left asymmetries. EEG and both somatosensory and brain-stem auditory evoked potentials remained unchanged during stimulation, while visual evoked potentials revealed evidence of anterior visual pathway dysfunction in the left eye. This case establishes the potential for addiction to deep brain stimulation and demonstrates that widespread behavioral and physiological changes, with concomitant alteration in the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, may accompany unilateral thalamic stimulation.
AB - A 48-year-old woman with a stimulating electrode implanted in the right thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis developed compulsive self-stimulation associated with erotic sensations and changes in autonomic and neurologic function. Stimulation effects were evaluated by neuropsychologic testing, endocrine studies, positron emission tomographic measurements of regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, EEG and evoked potentials. During stimulation, vital signs and pupillary diameter increased and a left hemiparesis and left hemisensory loss developed. Verbal functions deteriorated and visuospatial processing improved. Plasma growth hormone concentrations decreased, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol levels rose. With stimulation, glucose metabolism increased in both thalami and both hemispheres, reversing baseline right-sided hypometabolism and right-left asymmetries. EEG and both somatosensory and brain-stem auditory evoked potentials remained unchanged during stimulation, while visual evoked potentials revealed evidence of anterior visual pathway dysfunction in the left eye. This case establishes the potential for addiction to deep brain stimulation and demonstrates that widespread behavioral and physiological changes, with concomitant alteration in the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, may accompany unilateral thalamic stimulation.
KW - deep brain stimulation
KW - self-stimulation
KW - thalamus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022889762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0022889762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0304-3959(86)90155-7
DO - 10.1016/0304-3959(86)90155-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 3492699
AN - SCOPUS:0022889762
VL - 27
SP - 277
EP - 290
JO - Pain
JF - Pain
SN - 0304-3959
IS - 3
ER -