Anatomic verification of the lesion which abolishes parkinsonian tremor and rigidity

THE FACT that surgically inflicted lesions within the basal ganglia are capable of abolishing parkinsonian tremor and rigidity, as well as many other involuntary movement disorders, has been established by clinical investigations following intracerebral surgery in human beings.1-7 However, the precise anatomic site or sites of the lesions which are capable of abolishing tremor and rigidity are not yet certain because of the paucity of long-term follow-up anatomic material. Experienced interpretation of roentgenograms obtained during basal ganglia operations and the application of stereotactic a t lases~l l~l : ’ provide a reasonably accurate and practical estimate of the inflicted lesion in each instance. However, because of anatomic and pathologic variations in each person subjected to this type of surgery, the precise microscopic neuroanatomic data required to provide accurate physiologic interpretation of the operative results in each case must await the detailed examination of each brain on which surgery was performed that becomes available for study.