Neural transplantation in Parkinson's disease and its effects on rest tremor: a review of the literature.

Abstract

The transplantation of fetal mesencephalic dopaminergic tissue into the striatum of parkinsonian (PD) patients is an experimental therapeutic approach. The target population for this treatment are advanced, predominantly akinetic-rigid patients with therapy-associated complications, and not tremor-dominant PD patients. Based on a review of selected published data, no specific beneficial effect of fetal mesencephalic transplantation in PD patients was reported on the cardinal symptom rest tremor. On the one hand, this might be the result of a lack of efficacy of this treatment with respect to tremor; on the other hand, PD patients with predominant tremor may have a better prognosis with respect to motor function and therefore might not reach the advanced akinetic-rigid stage, which makes them eligible for neural transplantation. Rest-tremor dominant PD patients have not undergone fetal cell grafting; therefore its effect on rest tremor is unknown.