What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?

Deep brain stimulation is an elective surgical treatment for neurological and psychological conditions.

January 17, 2025 · 8 min · 1704 words · Kyle Mcgrath

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Deep Brain Stimulation?HistoryTypesUsesBenefitsPotential Pitfalls

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?

History

Types

Uses

Benefits

Potential Pitfalls

Close

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment used for movement disorders and some treatment-resistantmental disorders.

Electrodes are surgically implanted into parts of the brain where abnormal activity is occurring. The electrodes emit impulses that manage irregular brain activity. A generator controls the brain stimulation, which, much similar to a pace-maker, is placed in the upper chest. The generator connects to the electrodes through a wire tracing under the skin from the chest to the brain.

The electrodes usually stimulate the brain bilaterally, meaning that both sides of the brain are receiving stimulation. However, there are some conditions where the electrode treatment must be unilateral, meaning they are only stimulating one side of the brain.

Deep brain stimulation treatment commences once the recovery process after the surgery is complete, which usually takes a few weeks. A medical provider will turn the generator on and begin the process of finding the best settings for the allocated treatment. This can prove to be a bit uncomfortable at first, with an early side effect being speech issues.However, this is usually temporary.

History of Deep Brain Stimulation

In 1987, French neurosurgeon Alim Benabid discovered that electrical stimulation on the basal ganglia could relieve symptoms ofParkinson’s disease.This discovery triggered a groundbreaking moment in healing movement disorders.

In 2009, deep brain stimulation forobsessive-compulsive disorderwas introduced.Since then, the use of this elective surgical procedure has treateddepression, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome. Less commonly, but effectively, this treatment has also been used for chronic headaches, addiction, obesity, and stroke recovery.

Types of Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation therapy is part of a broader scope of brain stimulation therapies. Deep brain stimulation is one of the most commonly known stimulation therapies.Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)is a highly controversial and widely studied brain stimulation therapy that is still used to this day. Electroconvulsive therapy is used in the treatment of major depressive disorder andbipolar disorder.

Other forms of brain stimulation therapies include:

What Is Deep Brain Stimulation Used For?

Deep brain stimulation is helpful both for neurological and treatment-resistant psychological disorders. It can treat movement disorders like the aforementioned Parkinson’s disease, tremors, and dystonia. Psychological disorders can also benefit.

Deep Brain Stimulation Benefits and Considerations

The greatest benefit deep brain stimulation offers is the opportunity to finally feel relief. Particularly in the case of psychological disorders, it can work wonders on conditions that simply have failed to respond to other forms of treatment.

In the event that other treatments are not soothing the symptoms of a mental illness like depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, deep brain stimulation can offer some relief.

While deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment, it does require surgery. For many, the stress of undergoing an elective surgical procedure may be a major deterrent.

Potential Pitfalls of Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a serious medical procedure. For those receiving deep brain stimulation for neurological disorders, there can be negative psychological side effects.

For example, a study on those experiencing Parkinson’s disease revealed an increased likelihood to develop depressive symptoms after the surgery.However, these symptoms can subside and, if needed, medical providers can adjust the treatment accordingly.

Other general side effects include infection, headache, and device malfunction.Some may experience speech issues and fatigue.It is worth noting that side effects are rare and can be managed with adjustments to deep brain stimulation and medical attention.

A Word From Verywell

Living with a treatment-resistant psychological condition can feel isolating and disheartening. If you find yourself losing hope in your pursuit of proper treatment, reach out to your medical provider to see if this treatment could provide relief.

12 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.Herrington TM, Cheng JJ, Eskandar EN.Mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.J. Neurophysiol. 2016;115(1):19-38. doi: 10.1152/jn.00281.2015Little S, Tripoliti E, Beudel M, et al.Adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease demonstrates reduced speech side effects compared to conventional stimulation in the acute setting.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(12):1388-1389. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313518DeLong MR, Benabid AL.Discovery of high-frequency deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson disease.JAMA. 2014;312(11):1093. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.11132Miocinovic S, Somayajula S, Chitnis S, Vitek JL.History, applications, and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(2):163-171. Doi: 10.1001/2013.jamaneurol.45Pycroft L, Stein J, Aziz T.Deep brain stimulation: An overview of history, methods, and future developments.Brain Neurosci Adv. 2018;2:239821281881601. doi: 10.1177/2398212818816017Bahji A, Hawken ER, Sepehry AA, Cabrera CA, Vazquez G.ECT beyond unipolar major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar depression.Acta Psychiatr Scand. doi: 10.1111/acps.12994National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Brain stimulation therapies. Published June 2016.Morishita T, Fayad SM, Higuchi M aki, Nestor KA, Foote KD.Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: systematic review of clinical outcomes.Neurotherapeutics.2014;11(3):475-484. doi: 10.1007/s13311-014-0282-1Blomstedt P, Sjöberg RL, Hansson M, Bodlund O, Hariz MI.Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.World Neurosurg. 2013;80(6):e245-253. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.10.006Cyron D.Mental side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders: the futility of denial.Front Integr Neurosci. 2016;10:17. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00017Fenoy AJ, Simpson RK.Risks of common complications in deep brain stimulation surgery: management and avoidance.J. Neurosurg. 2014;120(1):132-139. doi:10.3171/2013.10.JNS131225Zarzycki MZ, Domitrz I.Stimulation-induced side effects after deep brain stimulation – a systematic review.Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 2020;32(2):57-64. doi:10.1017/neu.2019.35

12 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.Herrington TM, Cheng JJ, Eskandar EN.Mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.J. Neurophysiol. 2016;115(1):19-38. doi: 10.1152/jn.00281.2015Little S, Tripoliti E, Beudel M, et al.Adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease demonstrates reduced speech side effects compared to conventional stimulation in the acute setting.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(12):1388-1389. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313518DeLong MR, Benabid AL.Discovery of high-frequency deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson disease.JAMA. 2014;312(11):1093. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.11132Miocinovic S, Somayajula S, Chitnis S, Vitek JL.History, applications, and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(2):163-171. Doi: 10.1001/2013.jamaneurol.45Pycroft L, Stein J, Aziz T.Deep brain stimulation: An overview of history, methods, and future developments.Brain Neurosci Adv. 2018;2:239821281881601. doi: 10.1177/2398212818816017Bahji A, Hawken ER, Sepehry AA, Cabrera CA, Vazquez G.ECT beyond unipolar major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar depression.Acta Psychiatr Scand. doi: 10.1111/acps.12994National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Brain stimulation therapies. Published June 2016.Morishita T, Fayad SM, Higuchi M aki, Nestor KA, Foote KD.Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: systematic review of clinical outcomes.Neurotherapeutics.2014;11(3):475-484. doi: 10.1007/s13311-014-0282-1Blomstedt P, Sjöberg RL, Hansson M, Bodlund O, Hariz MI.Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.World Neurosurg. 2013;80(6):e245-253. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.10.006Cyron D.Mental side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders: the futility of denial.Front Integr Neurosci. 2016;10:17. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00017Fenoy AJ, Simpson RK.Risks of common complications in deep brain stimulation surgery: management and avoidance.J. Neurosurg. 2014;120(1):132-139. doi:10.3171/2013.10.JNS131225Zarzycki MZ, Domitrz I.Stimulation-induced side effects after deep brain stimulation – a systematic review.Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 2020;32(2):57-64. doi:10.1017/neu.2019.35

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.

Herrington TM, Cheng JJ, Eskandar EN.Mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.J. Neurophysiol. 2016;115(1):19-38. doi: 10.1152/jn.00281.2015Little S, Tripoliti E, Beudel M, et al.Adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease demonstrates reduced speech side effects compared to conventional stimulation in the acute setting.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(12):1388-1389. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313518DeLong MR, Benabid AL.Discovery of high-frequency deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson disease.JAMA. 2014;312(11):1093. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.11132Miocinovic S, Somayajula S, Chitnis S, Vitek JL.History, applications, and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(2):163-171. Doi: 10.1001/2013.jamaneurol.45Pycroft L, Stein J, Aziz T.Deep brain stimulation: An overview of history, methods, and future developments.Brain Neurosci Adv. 2018;2:239821281881601. doi: 10.1177/2398212818816017Bahji A, Hawken ER, Sepehry AA, Cabrera CA, Vazquez G.ECT beyond unipolar major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar depression.Acta Psychiatr Scand. doi: 10.1111/acps.12994National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Brain stimulation therapies. Published June 2016.Morishita T, Fayad SM, Higuchi M aki, Nestor KA, Foote KD.Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: systematic review of clinical outcomes.Neurotherapeutics.2014;11(3):475-484. doi: 10.1007/s13311-014-0282-1Blomstedt P, Sjöberg RL, Hansson M, Bodlund O, Hariz MI.Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.World Neurosurg. 2013;80(6):e245-253. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.10.006Cyron D.Mental side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders: the futility of denial.Front Integr Neurosci. 2016;10:17. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00017Fenoy AJ, Simpson RK.Risks of common complications in deep brain stimulation surgery: management and avoidance.J. Neurosurg. 2014;120(1):132-139. doi:10.3171/2013.10.JNS131225Zarzycki MZ, Domitrz I.Stimulation-induced side effects after deep brain stimulation – a systematic review.Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 2020;32(2):57-64. doi:10.1017/neu.2019.35

Herrington TM, Cheng JJ, Eskandar EN.Mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.J. Neurophysiol. 2016;115(1):19-38. doi: 10.1152/jn.00281.2015

Little S, Tripoliti E, Beudel M, et al.Adaptive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease demonstrates reduced speech side effects compared to conventional stimulation in the acute setting.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(12):1388-1389. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313518

DeLong MR, Benabid AL.Discovery of high-frequency deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson disease.JAMA. 2014;312(11):1093. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.11132

Miocinovic S, Somayajula S, Chitnis S, Vitek JL.History, applications, and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(2):163-171. Doi: 10.1001/2013.jamaneurol.45

Pycroft L, Stein J, Aziz T.Deep brain stimulation: An overview of history, methods, and future developments.Brain Neurosci Adv. 2018;2:239821281881601. doi: 10.1177/2398212818816017

Bahji A, Hawken ER, Sepehry AA, Cabrera CA, Vazquez G.ECT beyond unipolar major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar depression.Acta Psychiatr Scand. doi: 10.1111/acps.12994

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Brain stimulation therapies. Published June 2016.

Morishita T, Fayad SM, Higuchi M aki, Nestor KA, Foote KD.Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: systematic review of clinical outcomes.Neurotherapeutics.2014;11(3):475-484. doi: 10.1007/s13311-014-0282-1

Blomstedt P, Sjöberg RL, Hansson M, Bodlund O, Hariz MI.Deep brain stimulation in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.World Neurosurg. 2013;80(6):e245-253. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.10.006

Cyron D.Mental side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders: the futility of denial.Front Integr Neurosci. 2016;10:17. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00017

Fenoy AJ, Simpson RK.Risks of common complications in deep brain stimulation surgery: management and avoidance.J. Neurosurg. 2014;120(1):132-139. doi:10.3171/2013.10.JNS131225

Zarzycki MZ, Domitrz I.Stimulation-induced side effects after deep brain stimulation – a systematic review.Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 2020;32(2):57-64. doi:10.1017/neu.2019.35

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