Biomaterial Database

Reminiscences on stereotactic neurosurgery. 2005

Stanley Stellar

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA. bschw47886@aol.com

This report is a straightforward account of the author's personal experience as a practicing neurosurgeon, particularly his experience in the surgical treatment of Parkinson's disease, before the discovery of the partially successful medical treatment using the drug L-dopa. Even today, L-dopa plays a major role in alleviating the disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Frank revelations are made of events not usually included in the medical literature, or even in public newspapers and journals. Furthermore, no attempt was made by the author to hide facts or to protect anyone, including the author himself.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007980	Levodopa	The naturally occurring form of DIHYDROXYPHENYLALANINE and the immediate precursor of DOPAMINE. Unlike dopamine itself, it can be taken orally and crosses the blood-brain barrier. It is rapidly taken up by dopaminergic neurons and converted to DOPAMINE. It is used for the treatment of PARKINSONIAN DISORDERS and is usually given with agents that inhibit its conversion to dopamine outside of the central nervous system.	L-Dopa,3-Hydroxy-L-tyrosine,Dopaflex,Dopar,L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine,Larodopa,Levopa,3 Hydroxy L tyrosine,L 3,4 Dihydroxyphenylalanine,L Dopa
D010300	Parkinson Disease	A progressive, degenerative neurologic disease characterized by a TREMOR that is maximal at rest, retropulsion (i.e. a tendency to fall backwards), rigidity, stooped posture, slowness of voluntary movements, and a masklike facial expression. Pathologic features include loss of melanin containing neurons in the substantia nigra and other pigmented nuclei of the brainstem. LEWY BODIES are present in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus but may also be found in a related condition (LEWY BODY DISEASE, DIFFUSE) characterized by dementia in combination with varying degrees of parkinsonism. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1059, pp1067-75)	Idiopathic Parkinson Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson Disease,Paralysis Agitans,Primary Parkinsonism,Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson's Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease, Lewy Body,Parkinsonism, Primary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013238	Stereotaxic Techniques	Techniques used mostly during brain surgery which use a system of three-dimensional coordinates to locate the site to be operated on.	Stereotactic Techniques,Stereotaxic Technics,Stereotactic Technique,Stereotaxic Technic,Stereotaxic Technique,Technic, Stereotaxic,Technics, Stereotaxic,Technique, Stereotactic,Technique, Stereotaxic,Techniques, Stereotactic,Techniques, Stereotaxic
D049674	History, 21st Century	Time period from 2001 through 2100 of the common era.	21st Century History,21st Cent. History (Medicine),21st Cent. History of Medicine,21st Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 21st Century,History of Medicine, 21st Cent.,History, Twenty-first Century,Medical History, 21st Cent.,Medicine, 21st Cent.,21st Cent. Histories (Medicine),21st Cent. Medicines,21st Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 21st (Medicine),Cent. History, 21st (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 21st,Cent. Medicines, 21st,Century Histories, 21st,Century Histories, Twenty-first,Century History, 21st,Century History, Twenty-first,Histories, 21st Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 21st Century,Histories, Twenty-first Century,History, 21st Cent. (Medicine),History, Twenty first Century,Medicines, 21st Cent.,Twenty-first Century Histories,Twenty-first Century History
D019635	Neurosurgical Procedures	Surgery performed on the nervous system or its parts.	Procedures, Neurosurgical,Surgical Procedures, Neurologic,Neurologic Surgical Procedure,Neurologic Surgical Procedures,Neurosurgical Procedure,Procedure, Neurologic Surgical,Procedure, Neurosurgical,Procedures, Neurologic Surgical,Surgical Procedure, Neurologic