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Deep Brain Stimulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  • Chapter
Deep Brain Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

Abstract

Obsessive—compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder that often runs a chronic, fluctuating course. A minority of patients do not improve by any available psychopharmacological and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. Treatment-refractory OCD patients considered for stereotactic neurosurgery have a longstanding history of persistent and extremely incapacitating intrusive obsessions and repetitive compulsions. This disorder creates tremendous suffering and a deep sense of shame, resulting in social isolation and often depression. Although a specific brain abnormality has not been identified, a growing number of brain imaging studies have accumulated evidence for a neurobiological basis for OCD.

Eleven patients with severe, treatment refractory OCD were included in a double blind randomised crossover protocol. Electrical stimulation in the anterior limbs of the internal capsules and striatal gray matter inferiorly induced clinically significant therapeutic benefit in this patient group, not only in severity of OCD symptoms but also on the patient's mood scores. Technical aspects currently limit the use of capsular stimulation as a therapeutic option. This treatment option remains investigational for OCD patients and is not considered standard therapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Loes Gabriëls & Paul Cosyns

  2. Laboratory for Experimental Functional Neurosurgery, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Kris van Kuyck, Marleen Welkenhuyzen & Bart Nuttin

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Paul Cosyns

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Laboratory for Experimental Functional Neurosurgery, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Bart Nuttin

Authors
  1. Loes Gabriëls
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  2. Kris van Kuyck
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  3. Marleen Welkenhuyzen
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  4. Paul Cosyns
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  5. Bart Nuttin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Daniel Tarsy MD  & Daniel Tarsy MD  & 

  2. Neuromodulation Research Center, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jerrold L. Vitek MD, PhD

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Philip A. Starr MD, PhD

  4. Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Michael S. Okun MD

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© 2008 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Gabriëls, L., van Kuyck, K., Welkenhuyzen, M., Cosyns, P., Nuttin, B. (2008). Deep Brain Stimulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In: Tarsy, D., Vitek, J.L., Starr, P.A., Okun, M.S. (eds) Deep Brain Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-360-8_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-360-8_26

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-952-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-360-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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