Pallidotomy relieves some symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Posteroventral medial pallidotomy can provide long term relief from many of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but it does not improve others and is not without side effects, according to a study by physicians at the University of Toronto, Canada (New England Journal of Medicine 2000:342;1708-14).

Pallidotomy is a surgical procedure in which overactive dopaminergic neurons in a portion of the basal ganglia, the globus pallidus, are ablated in an effort to reduce the tremors and dyskinesias of Parkinson's …