Applications for Deep Brain Stimulation
Researchers and physicians at Barrow believe there are five major areas that may dramatically benefit from deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment.
Neuropsychiatric Disorders
These disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction, schizophrenia, and Tourette’s syndrome. Outside of Parkinson’s, these conditions have benefited most in recent years from the use of DBS. In 2009, the FDA, for the first time, approved deep brain stimulation for a psychological disorder by okaying its use for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Early studies also have shown promising results in the treatment of depression and Tourette’s syndrome.
Acquired Brain Injury
Patients suffering from stroke and traumatic brain injury may benefit from research at the Center for Adaptive Brain Function. Researchers believe that some stroke victims and people suffering from other conditions where motor function is lost or reduced may be able to acquire new skills or recover some lost motor function with the use of DBS.
Aging Brain Disorders
These disorders include Alzheimer’s disease and dementias. Researchers want to study the possibilities of using DBS with Alzheimer's patients. Preliminary results at other institutions look promising, but it will take several more years of testing to know for certain whether a mild electrical current can spark memories locked away by this devastating disease.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Researchers believe there may be applications for DBS in autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and mental retardation.
The rapid proliferation of autism make this a particularly important area of study.
Other Disabling Disorders
These disorders include chronic pain syndromes, cluster headaches, and addictions. In the area of chronic pain, recent statistics indicate that one in five people worldwide suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain. Deep brain stimulation is now being used to at several medical facilities to treat chronic unresponsive pain. The exact mechanism that creates pain relief is yet to be fully understood, but DBS is being used in cases where other treatments have been unsuccessful.
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