http://data.spotlighthealth.com/nasp/faxwatch/msarticle.asp?article_id=265

July 27, 2001

In a recent study, researchers explored the efficacy of stereotactic lesional surgery, a type of surgery directed by various scanning devices, for the treatment of tremor in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The study included 24 MS patients. Of these patients, 13 underwent surgery and were matched with 11 control patients in the basis of age, sex, Expanded Disability System Scores and disease duration.

Assessments were performed at the beginning of the study, and later at 3 and 12 months.

Between the three- and six-month assessments, two patients who underwent surgery and one control patient died.

Significant improvements in head tremors were detected at three and 12 months after surgery. In addition, tremor-related disability and finger-tapping speed significantly improved 12 months after surgery, the latter having significantly worsened for the control group.

The researchers found that stereotactic lesional surgery provided benefit to tremulous MS patients by suppressing limb and to a lesser extent, head tremor and thus improved tremor-related disability.

The study appears in the August issue of Brain.