Deep brain stimulation

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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a type of neurostimulation therapy in which an implantable pulse generator is surgically implanted below the skin of the chest and connected by leads to the brain to deliver controlled electrical impulses. These charges therapeutically disrupt and promote dysfunctional nervous system circuits bidirectionally in both ante- and retrograde directions. Though first developed for Parkinsonian tremor, the technology has since been adapted to a wide variety of chronic neurologic disorders. The exact mechanisms of DBS are complex and not fully understood, though it is thought to mimic the effects of lesioning by disrupting pathologically elevated and oversynchronized informational flow in misfiring brain networks. As opposed to permanent ablation, the effect can be reversed by turning off the DBS device. Common targets include the globus pallidus, ventral nuclear group of the thalamus, internal capsule, and subthalamic nucleus. It is one of the few neurosurgical...

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