DBS is a useful and safe treatment for severe GTS. The results of ours and previous DBS reports suggest that the CM-Pfc and ventralis oralis complex of the thalamus may be a good DBS target for GTS.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may improve disabling tics in severely affected medication and behaviorally resistant Tourette syndrome (TS). Here we review all reported cases of TS DBS and provide updated recommendations for selection, assessment, and management of potential TS DBS cases based on the literature and implantation experience. Candidates should have a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM V) diagnosis of TS with severe motor and vocal tics, which despite exhaustive medical and behavioral treatment trials result in significant impairment. Deep brain stimulation should be offered to patients only by experienced DBS centers after evaluation by a multidisciplinary team. Rigorous preoperative and postoperative outcome measures of tics and associated comorbidities should be used. Tics and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions should be optimally treated per current expert standards, and tics should be the major cause of disability. Psychogenic tics, embellishment, and malingering should be recognized and addressed. We have removed the previously suggested 25-year-old age limit, with the specification that a multidisciplinary team approach for screening is employed. A local ethics committee or institutional review board should be consulted for consideration of cases involving persons younger than 18 years of age, as well as in cases with urgent indications. Tourette syndrome patients represent a unique and complex population, and studies reveal a higher risk for post-DBS complications. Successes and failures have been reported for multiple brain targets; however, the optimal surgical approach remains unknown. Tourette syndrome DBS, though still evolving, is a promising approach for a subset of medication refractory and severely affected patients.

Objective-To examine surgical findings and results of microvascular decompression (MVD) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), including patients with multiple sclerosis, to bring new insight about the role of microvascular compression in the pathogenesis of the disorder and the role of MVD in its treatment. Methods-Between 1990 and 1998, 250 patients aVected by trigeminal neuralgia underwent MVD in the Department of Neurosurgery of the "Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C Besta" in Milan. Limiting the review to the period 1991-6, to exclude the "learning period" (the first 50 cases) and patients with less than 1 year follow up, surgical findings and results were critically analysed in 148 consecutive cases, including 10 patients with multiple sclerosis. Results-Vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve was found in all cases. The recurrence rate was 15.3% (follow up 1-7 years, mean 38 months). In five of 10 patients with multiple sclerosis an excellent result was achieved (follow up 12-39 months, mean 24 months). Patients with TN for more than 84 months did significantly worse than those with a shorter history (p<0.05). There was no mortality and most complications occurred in the learning period. Surgical complications were not related to age of the patients. Conclusions-Aetiopathogenesis of trigeminal neuralgia remains a mystery. These findings suggest a common neuromodulatory role of microvascular compression in both patients with or without multiple sclerosis rather than a direct causal role. MVD was found to be a safe and eVective procedure to relieve typical TN in patients of all ages. It should be proposed as first choice surgery to all patients aVected by TN, even in selected cases with multiple sclerosis, to give them the opportunity of pain relief without sensory deficits. and fully recognised and popularised by Jannetta 3 was a milestone in the management of medically intractable trigeminal neuralgia.In the past 30 years thousands of patients have undergone successful microvascular decompression and today it represents one of the most widely used surgical options for trigeminal neuralgia. Several studies agree on high rate of long term success and even authors against the concept of microvascular compression perform it for its eVectiveness. 4 Controversies still exist about the role of vascular compression in the pathogenesis of the disorder, the possible involvement of the same mechanism also in patients aVected by multiple sclerosis, the existence of reliable prognostic factors, and the role of microvascular decompression in elderly patients.To bring new insight about these topics we critically reviewed 250 patients, including 10 patients aVected by multiple sclerosis, all operated on by the same surgeon (GB). Patients and methodsBetween 1990 and 1998, 250 patients aVected by trigeminal neuralgia (TN) underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) in the Department of Neurosurgery of the "Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta" in Milan. Our review was limited to 146 patients treated in the period 19...

This study provides class IV evidence that bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation reduces global tic severity measured 24 months after implantation in patients with severe intractable Tourette syndrome.