Clinical and Physiological Effects of Stimulation of the Paleocerebellum in Humans

Abstract

Chronically implanted electrodes allowed the repeated stimulation, with different rates and intensities and for variable durations, of the paleocerebellum in 4 patients with intractable muscular hypertonia and also in a patient with epilepsy resistant to antiepileptic drugs. Chronic stimulation of the anterior cerebellum at high rates (100–200 cycles per second) inhibited muscular hypertonus. Chronic stimulation at 10 cycles per second in the patient with epilepsy inhibited the seizures.

Evidence for changes in segmental motoneurone pools by chronic cerebellar stimulation and its clinical significance.

“…Chronic electrical stimulation of the anterior cerebellum has been reported to reduce rigidity in patients with motor system disorders (Cooper et al, 1973). The theoretical justification for this procedure stems partially from the observation that decerebrate rigidity in animals decreases with repeated surface electrical stimulation of the paleocerebellum (Sherrington, 1898;Dow and Moruzzi, 1958).…”

Chronic Cerebellar Stimulation in Cerebral Palsy

“…[1][2][3] and Davis et al [4][5][6] independently reported satisfactory results during the past several years in a large group of patients. Sukoff and Ragatz [ 10] reported relief of posthypoxic decere brate rigidity in 2 patients.…”

Chronic Paleocerebellar Stimulation for the Treatment of Neuromuscular Disorders

“…Considerable success has also been reported in reducing rigidity in pa tients with cerebral palsy following chronic electrical stimulation of the cerebellum [1,3,6,16]. Clinical relief was achieved with high frequency stimulation (200 Hz) [1,3] as well as low frequencies (20 Hz) [16].…”

“…Electrical stimulation of the surface of the cerebellum has been used to treat a number of neurological disorders since Cooper et al [1] first re ported the clinical and physiological effects of stimulation of the paleocerebellum in man in 1973.…”