Deep brain stimulationhas come a long way over the past few decades. This type of surgery involves the implantation of a brain pacemaker. The brain pacemaker sends impulses of electricity to different parts of the brain. In particular this type of surgery is known to help people that suffer from Parkinson's disease, dystonia, chronic pain and tremors.
Although DBS is remarkably therapeutic, not much is actually known about the mechanisms and principles. What is known is that DBS can change brain activity in a manner that is controlled. Lesioning techniques are not reversible like DBS. While DBS is still not understood completely, and is allowed to do blind studies to better understand the methodology, it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Furthermore, DBS is now allowed to help treat affective disorders such as major depression.
Remarkably, DBS has been able to reverse motor problems associated with Parkinson's disease. While surgical complications are minimum, the results are positive and have been proven to help those suffering from Parkinson's for a long term. Further studies have also proven that those who have suffered with the later stages of Parkinson's, which causes them to suffer from serious balance problems and resistance to treatment, can also benefit from DBS. More areas of the brain are being tested with DBS and forms of dystonia are being treated. Dystonia is a disorder that causes the body to involuntarily twist and forces a person to remain in abnormal postures.
Deep brain stimulation is being studied for more neuropsychiatric conditions, as well. These studies are very new and considered experimental in some cases. The idea is that abnormal patterns, whether they are due to Parkinson's or other movement disorders, could be caused by similar activity patterns in neuronal networks.
Obsessive compulsive disorder is one of the neuropsychiatric conditions that cause compulsive behaviors and intrusive thoughts. Brain Lesioning has been a common neurosurgical treatment for this disorder until it was discovered that DBS can target the ventral striatum and be used for treatment too. Those that suffer from Tourette's syndrome, the involuntary stereotyped and rapid movement and vocalizations known as tics, may also benefit from DBS treatments. DBS would be reserved for those with extremely severe cases. The idea that DBS can send electronic currents to parts of the brain to treat diseases and disorders is significant.
Studies are being held to determine whether DBS could possibly help those that suffer from deep depression. This would include severe depression that shows no responsive signs to treatment. More people need to be tested to see if this type of treatment will significantly improve lives. The clinical benefits so far have been very promising. When DBS was used on patients that have not responded to treatments of any kind they showed sustained improvement after six months.
Deep brain stimulation has become a choice for those that have no other options. In most cases it is used for patients that have reached the end of a long line of treatments that did them no good. Such a new treatment that hails such high acclaim is being studied more so the medical industry will be able to treat those that were once hopeless.
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