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Luc Defebvre, MD, PhD; Jean-Louis Blatt, MD, PhD; Serge Blond, MD; Jean-Louis Bourriez, PhD; Jean-Daniel Guieu, MD; Alain Destée, MD

Arch Neurol. 1996;53(9):898-903.

Abstract
Objective
To assess the influence of ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus stimulation on gait in idiopathic Parkinson disease.

Design
Clinical and physiological assessments were compared in patients with and without ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus stimulation.

Setting
The research clinic of a university department of gait analysis.

Patients
Seven patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease who had long-term monopolar stimulation of the ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus to control a large-amplitude tremor.

Main Outcome Measures
Gait kinematic parameters were automatically recorded using the Vicon optoelectric system for movement analysis. Measures of locomotor displacement (cadence, walking speed, stride and step times, single and double support times, and stride and step lengths) were computed successively during 2 conditions: stimulation on and off. Traces of ankle joint position were also analyzed for the left and right lower limbs and for the affected and unaffected lower limbs.

Results
No difference in mean values was observed between the 2 conditions.

Conclusion
This study seems to confirm that ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus stimulation, effective in reducing tremor, does not modify gait parameters in idiopathic Parkinson disease.

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Gait Analysis (Drs Defebvre, Blatt, Blond, Bourriez, Guieu, and Destée), Neurology A (Drs Defebvre and Destée), Clinical Neurophysiology (Drs Blatt, Bourriez, and Guieu), and Neurosurgery (Dr Blond), University of Lille, Lille, France.

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