What are the characteristics of thalamic syndrome

  Thalamic syndrome is often caused by impaired blood supply to the thalamic geniculate artery or thalamic penetrating artery.  The clinical features are: 1. Various sensory disturbances or sensory hypersensitivity in the contralateral hemithorax of the damaged thalamus, and sometimes spontaneous severe pain in the contralateral hemithorax, which is mostly persistent and aggravated by sound and light stimulation.  2. Temporary, flaccid weakness and lateral ataxia, tardive dyskinesia, etc. appear in the limb contralateral to the lesion.  3. Autonomic and endocrine dysfunction. The main manifestations are drowsiness, dysuria, skin vasodilatation disorder, blood pressure changes and bladder dysfunction, etc.  4.Visual impairment, dull or absent response to light. Pupils are unequal in size, eye movements are limited, hearing and smell are diminished to varying degrees, or there is a contralateral isotropic hemianopia, etc.  5. Mental symptoms, mostly manifested as dull expression, slow movement and language, inattention, and diminished intelligence, etc.  6.When the patient is emotional or crying and laughing, the facial expression on the opposite side of the lesion disappears, resembling facial muscle paralysis. However, when examined, there is no real sign of facial palsy, presenting the so-called facial dissociative movement disorder. It may be due to the interruption of the reflex pathway from the thalamus to the cortex and the basal ganglia nucleus.