CEREBELLAR PACEMAKER FOR INTRACTABLE BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS AND EPILEPSY - FOLLOW-UP REPORT

Abstract

Patients (38) who were intractably ill with a variety of behavioral disorders were treated with a chronically implanted cerebellar pacemaker. Included in the series are schizophrenics, depressives, epileptics with behavioral pathology and patients with severe organic brain pathology. The patients who have responded best to the treatment are those with depression, those with behavioral pathology consequent to epilepsy and those with psychotic behavior consequent to structural brain damage. Results obtained in the chronic schizophrenic patients were less favorable. The follow-up period ranges from a few months to 27 mo. Of the patient group, 21% displayed structural evidence of cerebellar pathology that was not detected before operation, a finding which suggests that cerebellar damage may induce psychotic behavior.