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By Mayo Clinic staffBecause deep brain stimulation is experimental, it's available only through participation in clinical trials. Because of the risks involved, its use is limited to people who have severe, debilitating depression that hasn't improved with standard treatments. The procedure requires an experienced surgical team.
First, weigh the pros and cons
Deep brain stimulation is a serious and potentially risky procedure. Even if you might be eligible for a clinical trial to test deep brain stimulation, you and your doctors must carefully weigh the risks and potential benefits of the procedure. If your depression prevents you from going about your daily activities or is life-threatening, you may be more willing to face the risks involved with deep brain stimulation. But you still must be screened by a team of medical professionals to make sure deep brain stimulation is a reasonable option for you.
Next, preparing for surgery
Before surgery, you need to have medical tests and a thorough psychiatric examination to make sure that deep brain stimulation is safe for you and is a good option in your case. You may be asked to complete psychological questionnaires or answer a number of questions. You also need brain-imaging studies, such as an MRI, before the surgery, to map the areas of your brain where the electrodes will be implanted.
- Read CN, et al. Psychiatric neurosurgery 2009: Review and perspective. Seminars in Neurology. 2009;29:256.
- Larson PS. Deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders. Neurotherapeutics: The Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics.
- Deep brain stimulation. NeuroSurgeryToday.org. http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/deep%20brain%20stimulation.asp. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Howland RH. Neurosurgical approaches to therapeutic brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing. 2008;46:15.
- Rabins P, et al. Scientific and ethical issues related to deep brain stimulation for disorders of mood, behavior, and thought. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2009;66:931.
- Tye SJ. Disrupting disordered neurocircuitry: Treating refractory psychiatric illness with neuromodulation. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2009;84:522.
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