Deep Brain Stimulation Can Help Treat OCD Symptoms, Studies Show

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Key Takeaways

Up to 3 million adults in the United States haveobsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly known as OCD. It can be a disabling condition, causing extreme recurring thoughts and urges. People diagnosed with the disorder battlefear,anxiety,doubt, and even disgust at dealing with their symptoms.

While there are treatments available to deal withOCD symptoms, behaviors can still interfere with a person’s ability to function on a daily basis. Studies now show that when other treatment methods don’t work, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an alternative that can make a difference.

“OCD is a very severe disorder for some patients, and some patients do not respond to available treatments. Interventions such as DBS increase the options that are available for this difficult illness,” statesDanesh Alam, MD, medical director of behavioral health at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.

Here’s what you need to know before considering deep brain stimulation for treating OCD.

OCD and Treatment Options

While OCD symptoms can appear at any time, they typically start between the ages of 8 to 12, or in the late teens or early adult years.

In addition tointrusive thoughtsand anxious feelings, people with OCD can struggle withobsessive thoughtsor compulsive, repetitive behaviors.

Perfectionism obsession, relationship-related obsession, obsessive fear of contamination from germs or dirt, compulsive hand washing or cleaning, or mental compulsions are symptoms of the disorder.

When any of those behaviors interfere with a person’s quality of life, or they can’t control the behaviors, the next step is to seek treatment.

Bothcognitive behavioral therapyand medication are commonly recognized ways to treat OCD. Exposure and response prevention therapy allows a person to have gradual exposure to the source of their obsession or compulsion while working not to have an OCD response.

Danesh Alam, MDOCD is a very severe disorder for some patients, and some patients do not respond to available treatments. Interventions such as DBS increase the options that are available for this difficult illness.

Danesh Alam, MD

OCD is a very severe disorder for some patients, and some patients do not respond to available treatments. Interventions such as DBS increase the options that are available for this difficult illness.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), typically used as antidepressants, can help control OCD symptoms.

When those treatments don’t work, however, another option is available.

“If they feel like the quality of life is really affected, and DBS can address those symptoms, then it becomes a reasonable option,” notesJean-Philippe Langevin, MD, neurosurgeon and director of Restorative Neurosurgery and Deep Brain Stimulation Program, Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.

Exposure Therapy for OCD

Deep Brain Stimulation

It’s important for patients to understand what DBS is, and the expectations following surgery.

“DBS basically is when an interventional neurosurgeon will put a couple of electrodes through the roof of the nose into the base of the brain,” Alam states.

A small electrical stimulator, which can be planted in your chest or abdomen, helps to control the brain and regulate OCD symptoms.

“You can explain it like a pacemaker for the brain. A cardiac pacemaker alters the activity of the heart. The DBS does the same thing but for the brain,” Langevin explains.

Jean-Philippe Langevin, MDIt’s a big choice to undergo this surgery. It’s not something that you want to take lightly. But in the realm of what we do in neurosurgery, it’s one of the lower-risk surgeries.

Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD

It’s a big choice to undergo this surgery. It’s not something that you want to take lightly. But in the realm of what we do in neurosurgery, it’s one of the lower-risk surgeries.

Studies on the procedure for OCD have had varying results. A 2018 study showed that close to 50% of its patients experienced a reduction in OCD symptoms after the procedure.

However, a 2019 study found that almost all of its participants had adverse reactions to the procedure, though over 50% were classified as mild. Almost 30% of those participants said their OCD worsened.

In a more recent study, successfully treated patients (50%) showed a decrease in the severity of their anxiety as well as an improvement incognitive function, and no significant cognitive decline was observed in any of the patients.

The study samplings were small, and more research is needed. However, there is a lot for patients to consider.

“It’s a big choice to undergo this surgery. It’s not something that you want to take lightly. But in the realm of what we do in neurosurgery, it’s one of the lower-risk surgeries,” says Langevin.

Risks include bleeding in the brain, stroke, infection, or movement of the electrode from its implant location. In addition, slight paralysis, problems with speech or vision, or tingling in the face and limbs are all potential side effects ofdeep brain stimulation.

With any medical procedure, there are pros and cons.

There can also be barriers to getting the procedure, such as insurance not covering DBS, and being unable to access a doctor who is skilled at performing the surgery.

For some patients, it’s a risk they are willing to take to have a better quality of life.

“Every patient has to consider the choice personally and decide if they’re okay with undergoing that surgery and running the risk,” Langevin concludes. “For some people it’s been transformative.”

What This Means For YouPeople who are diagnosed with OCD can struggle with hours of debilitating obsessions and compulsions daily. Their ability to function day-to-day feels effectively stripped away. Deep brain stimulation may be the answer they’ve been seeking. Before making such a monumental decision, however, it’s important to learn specifics about the procedure, the benefits and risks, and speak with a medical professional to know if it’s the right decision for you.

What This Means For You

People who are diagnosed with OCD can struggle with hours of debilitating obsessions and compulsions daily. Their ability to function day-to-day feels effectively stripped away. Deep brain stimulation may be the answer they’ve been seeking. Before making such a monumental decision, however, it’s important to learn specifics about the procedure, the benefits and risks, and speak with a medical professional to know if it’s the right decision for you.

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9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International OCD Foundation.Who Gets OCD?Kahn L, Sutton B, Winston HR, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: real world experience post-fda-humanitarian use device approval.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021;12.doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.568932National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Repetitive Behaviors Take Over.Updated 2020.International OCD Foundation.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).International OCD Foundation.Medications for OCD.University Hospitals.What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?Mar-Barrutia L, Real E, Segalás C, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of worldwide experience after 20 years.World J Psychiatry. 2021;11(9):659-680.Menchón JM, Real E, Alonso P, et al.A prospective international multi-center study on safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(4):1234-1247.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0562-6Parvaresh-Rizi, M, Ghadirivasfi, M, Babaei, S, et al.Psychopathological and neuropsychological outcomes of deep brain stimulation for severe- treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open label case series.Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2022;98:229-234.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.02.015

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International OCD Foundation.Who Gets OCD?Kahn L, Sutton B, Winston HR, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: real world experience post-fda-humanitarian use device approval.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021;12.doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.568932National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Repetitive Behaviors Take Over.Updated 2020.International OCD Foundation.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).International OCD Foundation.Medications for OCD.University Hospitals.What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?Mar-Barrutia L, Real E, Segalás C, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of worldwide experience after 20 years.World J Psychiatry. 2021;11(9):659-680.Menchón JM, Real E, Alonso P, et al.A prospective international multi-center study on safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(4):1234-1247.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0562-6Parvaresh-Rizi, M, Ghadirivasfi, M, Babaei, S, et al.Psychopathological and neuropsychological outcomes of deep brain stimulation for severe- treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open label case series.Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2022;98:229-234.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.02.015

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

International OCD Foundation.Who Gets OCD?Kahn L, Sutton B, Winston HR, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: real world experience post-fda-humanitarian use device approval.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021;12.doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.568932National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Repetitive Behaviors Take Over.Updated 2020.International OCD Foundation.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).International OCD Foundation.Medications for OCD.University Hospitals.What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?Mar-Barrutia L, Real E, Segalás C, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of worldwide experience after 20 years.World J Psychiatry. 2021;11(9):659-680.Menchón JM, Real E, Alonso P, et al.A prospective international multi-center study on safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(4):1234-1247.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0562-6Parvaresh-Rizi, M, Ghadirivasfi, M, Babaei, S, et al.Psychopathological and neuropsychological outcomes of deep brain stimulation for severe- treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open label case series.Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2022;98:229-234.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.02.015

International OCD Foundation.Who Gets OCD?

Kahn L, Sutton B, Winston HR, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: real world experience post-fda-humanitarian use device approval.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021;12.doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.568932

National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Repetitive Behaviors Take Over.Updated 2020.

International OCD Foundation.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

International OCD Foundation.Medications for OCD.

University Hospitals.What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?

Mar-Barrutia L, Real E, Segalás C, et al.Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of worldwide experience after 20 years.World J Psychiatry. 2021;11(9):659-680.

Menchón JM, Real E, Alonso P, et al.A prospective international multi-center study on safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(4):1234-1247.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0562-6

Parvaresh-Rizi, M, Ghadirivasfi, M, Babaei, S, et al.Psychopathological and neuropsychological outcomes of deep brain stimulation for severe- treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open label case series.Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2022;98:229-234.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2022.02.015

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