Objective: Globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS) is an established treatment for dystonia, but its specific efficacy for tardive dystonia (TD) remains insufficiently documented. To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of GPi-DBS and to identify optimal stimulation sites in patients with medically refractory TD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 26 patients with TD who underwent bilateral GPi-DBS. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Burke–Fahn–Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS). Optimal stimulation sites were identified using voxelwise sweet spot analysis. Results: At an average follow-up time of 42 months (range 12–4 months), the mean BFMDRS score improvement was 81.5%. The optimal stimulation sites were located in the posteroventral region of the GPi. Two patients experienced sustained symptom remission after DBS cessation. Complications included device-related infection (n=2), dysarthria (n=4), and gait imbalance (n= 1); no severe permanent complications occurred. Conclusion GPi-DBS is effective and safe for patients with medically refractory TD, providing significant long-term symptom relief. The optimal stimulation sites were located in the posteroventral GPi, which is consistent with those reported for patients with other dystonia types.

Purpose: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who undergo dental procedures during radiotherapy (RT) face an increased risk of developing osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Accordingly, new tools must be developed to extract critical information regarding the dose delivered to the teeth and mandible. This article proposes a novel approach for visualizing 3-dimensional planned dose distributions on panoramic reconstruction computed tomography (pCT) images. Materials and Methods: Four patients with HNC who underwent volumetric modulated arc therapy were included. One patient experienced ORN and required the extraction of teeth after RT. In the study approach, the dental arch curve (DAC) was defined using an open-source platform. Subsequently, pCT images and dose distributions were generated based on the new coordinate system. All teeth and mandibles were delineated on both the original CT and pCT images. To evaluate the consistency of dose metrics, the Mann-Whitney U test and Student t-test were employed. Results: A total of 61 teeth and 4 mandibles were evaluated. The correlation coefficient between the 2 methods was 0.999, and no statistically significant difference was observed (P>0.05). This method facilitated a straightforward and intuitive understanding of the delivered dose. In 1 patient, ORN corresponded to the region of the root and the gum receiving a high dosage (approximately 70 Gy). Conclusion The proposed method particularly benefits dentists involved in the management of patients with HNC. It enables the visualization of a 3-dimensional dose distribution in the teeth and mandible on pCT, enhancing the understanding of the dose delivered during RT.

Objective: The efficacy and safety of zolpidem for treating musician’s dystonia are not well understood. We aimed to retrospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of zolpidem for treating musician’s dystonia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records between January 2021 and December 2023 to identify patients with musician’s dystonia who had been prescribed zolpidem. Tubiana’s Musician’s Dystonia Rating Scale (range, 1–5; lower scores indicating greater severity) was used to evaluate musician’s dystonia. Results: Fifteen patients were included in this study. The mean effective dose of zolpidem was 5.3 ± 2.0 mg. The mean effective duration of zolpidem was 4.3 ± 1.2 h. With zolpidem administration, Tubiana’s musician’s dystonia rating scale score significantly improved from 2.2 ± 1.0 to 4.3 ± 0.8 (48.9% improvement, p < 0.001). Two patients (13.3%) discontinued the drug owing to unsatisfactory results or sleepiness. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that zolpidem may be an alternative treatment option for musician’s dystonia.