What is dorso-lateral in the subthalamic Nucleus (STN)?--a topographic and anatomical consideration on the ambiguous description of today's primary target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery.

Coenen, Volker A; Prescher, Andreas; Schmidt, Thorsten; Picozzi, Piero; Gielen, Frans L H · Acta Neurochir (Wien) · 2008

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Abstract

The most frequently used target for DBS in advanced Parkinson Disease (PD) is the sensorimotor subthalamic nucleus (STN), anatomically referred to as dorso-lateral STN [3]. Ambiguities arise, regarding the true meaning of this description in the STN. Does "dorsal" indicate posterior or superior? At its best, this definition assigns two directions in space to a three-dimensional structure. This paper evaluates the ambiguity and describes the sensorimotor part of the STN in stereotactic space.

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