ABSTRACT
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has revolutionized the treatment of several movement disorders, notably Parkinson’s disease (PD) (Krack et al., 2003); dystonia (Vidailhet et al., 2005); and tremor (Schuurman et al., 2000). In addition, it has been advocated for other conditions as diverse as obsessive-compulsive disorder (Nuttin et al., 2003); depression (Mayberg et al., 2005); epilepsy (Kerrigan et al., 2004; Theodore and Fisher, 2004); pain (Kumar et al., 1997); cluster headache (Schoenen et al., 2005; Leone et al., 2001); and even obesity (Benabid et al., 2005). Although the site of electrode implantation varies depending on the condition, the common feature of all DBS therapy is that the electrical pulses must be high frequency (>100 Hz) to be effective. Exactly how DBS works and its effects on neuronal functioning within the stimulated nucleus and downstream structures are the focus of this chapter.
