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Differential effects of deep brain stimulation on verbal fluency
Felicitas Ehlen1, Thomas Schoenecker2, Andrea A Kühn3
1Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Dept. of Neurology, Motor and Cognition Group, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Germany.
Brain and Language
|May 13, 2014
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) impacts verbal fluency (VF) differently depending on the target. DBS near the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) decreased VF, while near the subthalamic nucleus (STN) subtly enhanced it.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neurology
Background:
- Subcortical structures play a role in language processing.
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat neurological disorders.
- Understanding DBS effects on cognitive functions like verbal fluency is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of subcortical nuclei in lexical processing.
- To determine the differential effects of DBS in the VIM and STN on verbal fluency (VF).
Main Methods:
- Assessed VF in patients with DBS in the VIM and STN using active vs. inactivated stimulation.
- Correlated DBS effects with electrode localization in postoperative MRI.
- Compared patient performance to age-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Patients generally exhibited lower VF than controls.
- DBS activation near the VIM significantly impaired VF.
- DBS activation near the STN showed a subtle enhancement in phonemic VF.
- Effects were lateralized to the left hemisphere and correlated with electrode placement.
Conclusions:
- Verbal fluency is differentially modulated by DBS in the VIM and STN.
- Thalamic electrode location (ventromedial) poses a risk for VF decline.
- These findings provide insights into subcortical contributions to language.
