Supplementary Material for: Effects of Cerebellothalamic Tractotomy on Cognitive and Emotional Functioning in Essential Tremor: A Preliminary Study in 5 Essential Tremor Patients

Background: Subthalamic stereotactic interventions have
recently caught renewed interest as a treatment for essential tremor
(ET). However, it is not clear whether these interventions are
associated with neurocognitive, mood or personality changes. Objective:
To investigate neurocognition, neuropsychiatric functions and
personality variables in patients with ET and to explore the
neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric effects of cerebellothalamic
tractotomy (CTT), a form of subthalamotomy. Methods: In
our study, we investigated cognitive functions, frontal functions, mood
and personality variables in 5 patients with intractable ET. Patients
were tested before and 3 months after surgery using neuropsychological
tests, clinical scales for depression, anxiety, anger regulation and a
personality test. Results: Before surgery, ET patients
showed normal neurocognitive function, a slightly elevated frontal lobe
score in the dimensions mental control and memory, without being
indicative of a frontal lesion, and no elevated depression or anxiety
scores compared to norm values. After surgery, there was no change in
neurocognitive function and no increase in depression or anxiety scores.
Conclusion: In this exploratory study on 5 ET patients, CTT was not associated with alterations of mood or neurocognitive functions.