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Articles on Deep Brain Stimulation

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Deep brain stimulation can alleviate treatment-resistant depression for some patients. PM Images/Digital Vision via Getty Images

Depression recovery can be hard to measure − new research on deep brain stimulation shows how objective biomarkers could help make treatment more precise

Deep brain stimulation can help some people with treatment-resistant depression feel better, but it can be unclear whether a bout of low mood is a relapse or a bad day.
In deep brain stimulation, electrodes – the pale white lines – are implanted into a patient’s brain and connected to a battery in a person’s chest. Jmarchn/Wikimedia Commons

Treating mental illness with electricity marries old ideas with modern tech and understanding of the brain – podcast

Deep brain stimulation and trasncranial magnetic stimulation treat mental illness by sending electrical currents into parts of the brain. Every new patient provides researchers with a wealth of information. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.
Deep brain stimulation relies on thin electrodes implanted deep in the brain that deliver electrical currents. Olemedia/E+ via Getty Images

Deep brain stimulation can be life-altering for OCD sufferers when other treatment options fall short

This rare procedure is offered by only a handful of centers in the US and around the world and should be used only when less invasive treatment options for OCD have been tried.
Advances in artificial intelligence and technology have allowed researchers to better explore the mechanisms behind neurostimulation. Iryna Spodarenko/iStock via Getty Images

Brain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn’t clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapies

Existing brain connections may influence the effectiveness of neurostimulation. Tailoring treatments to each individual brain could expand the number of conditions brain stimulation can treat.
Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon Osbourne after Ozzy received a Golden God Award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony in London on June 11, 2018. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP Photo

Ozzy Osbourne has a type of Parkinson’s disease called Parkin: A neurologist explains

Ozzy Osbourne, famous for biting heads off bats, heavy metal music and a reality TV show, announced he has Parkinson’s disease. A Parkinson’s specialist explains the disease and recent advances.
Probes that can transmit electricity inside the skull raise questions about personal autonomy and responsibility. Hellerhoff

It’s not my fault, my brain implant made me do it

Where does responsibility lie if a person acts under the influence of their brain implant? As neurotechnologies advance, a neuroethicist and a legal expert write that now’s the time to hash it out.
The experimental technique of ‘deep brain stimulation’ has improved the lives of patients with treatment-resistant depression, despite the ‘failure’ of a large clinical trial. (Shutterstock)

Could an experimental brain surgery make you happier?

For some patients, drilling a hole in the skull and inserting an electrode into the ‘sadness centre’ of the brain offers relief from debilitating and otherwise treatment-resistant depression.
A patient with a drug addiction is in a very different situation to someone with Parkinson’s – and should be treated as such. killermonkeys

Deep brain stimulation: the hidden challenges of a technological fix

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a remarkable therapeutic innovation that has restored the lives of many individuals with intractable neurological disorders. Nowhere is this more evident than in crippling…
Implanted electrodes can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and help treat addiction. Wikimedia Commons

Deep brain stimulation: a fix when the drugs don’t work

Neurological disorders can have a devastating impact on the lives of sufferers and their families. Symptoms of these disorders differ extensively - from motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, memory…

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