Deep brain stimulation: New possibilities for the treatment of mental disorders

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment method that is currently getting more and more attention from psychiatrists. It has proven to be efficacious and safe in the treatment of neurological disorders, mainly Parkinson’s disease (PD), dystonia and essential tremor. DBS has very often contributed to successful treatment in cases that had proved resistant to all other methods of treatment. Nowadays treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the main psychiatric indication for DBS. Many studies have focused on assessing the efficacy and safety of this method in different mental disorders, including depressive disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia nervosa, Tourette syndrome, substance addiction or aggressive behaviors. Single cases of successful treatment in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder have also emerged in recent years. In this review the current state of knowledge on the applicability of DBS in psychiatry is presented, based on the available systematic reviews, clinical trials and case studies, as well as on neurophysiological and neuroimaging data.