Procaine‐oil‐wax pallidotomy for double athetosis and spastic states in infantile cerebral palsy

Abstract

Experiences with procaine-oil-wax pallidotomy in 80 cases of unilateral or bilateral athetosis are reported, with electromyographic analysis before and after the operation. Notable clinical improvement was obtained in 62.5% and slight in 27.5% of the cases; improvement in everyday activity and voluntary movement occurred in various degrees. In electromyograms, stretch reflex discharges of the tonic type, which are thought to be the essential basis for athetotic movement, are reduced notably by the procedure. This suggests an explanation of choreoathetosis as a disorder of muscle tone and emphasizes the importance of the pallidum in regulating the level of muscle tone.