An Assessment of Cognitive Function in Postthalamotomy Parkinson Patients

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Abstract
Cognitive evaluation of 47 Parkinson patients for a mean of 17 months following unilateral thalamotomy, using the Wechsler-Bellevue adult intelligence scale and the Wechsler memory scale, showed mild but definite cognitive declines persisting into the second postoperative year. Left-side operated patients showed declines mainly in verbally related scores and right-side operated patients showed declines mainly in nonverbal performance scores. These left-right differences were not secondarily caused by differences in age, sex, or degree of disease severity. A lack of adequate control data in the current literature prevents relating these changes directly to the thalamus. The changes observed are not sufficient in themselves to warrant cessation of thalamotomy in the treatment of Parkinson''s disease.

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