Stereotactic surgery for post-traumatic cerebellar syndrome: an analysis of seven cases

A variety of post-traumatic movement disorders may follow severe head injury. Generally, the movement disorder is a moderate to severe intention tremor, and this is often the major source of disability for the patient. The clinical features of 7 patients whose predominant problem was a post-traumatic cerebellar syndrome, who were treated by stereotactic ablation of the ventralis intermedius thalamic nucleus, are reported. 6 patients had good relief of their tremor and only 1 patient did not improve. Conservative treatment is usually ineffective, but in appropriately selected cases, stereotactic thalamotomy has a high degree of clinical success.