Parkinson's Disease

Frequently Asked Questions

20. What is thalamotomy?

Thalamotomy is a procedure used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease and is closely related to pallidotomy. It involves surgically destroying part of the brain's thalamus. Thalamotomy is useful mainly to reduce tremor. Because this procedure causes permanent destruction of brain tissue, it has largely been replaced by deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson's disease.