Deep Brain Stimulation for Psychiatric Disorders

Surgery for psychiatric disorders first began in the early part of the last century when the therapeutic options for these patients were limited. The introduction of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has caused a new interest in the surgical treatment of these disorders. DBS may have some advantage over lesioning procedures used in the past. A critical review of the major DBS targets under investigation for Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and major depression is presented. Current and future challenges for the use of DBS in psychiatric disorders are discussed, as well as a rationale for referring to this subspecialty as limbic disorders surgery based on the parallels with movement disorders surgery.