Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is being investigated as a treatment for patients with refractory major depressive disorder (MDD). However, little is known about how DBS exerts its antidepressive effects. Here, we investigated whether ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule stimulation modulates a limbic network centered around the amygdala in patients with treatment-resistant MDD.

Nine patients underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance scans before DBS surgery and after 1 year of treatment. In addition, they were scanned twice within 2 weeks during the subsequent double-blind cross-over phase with active and sham treatment. Twelve matched controls underwent scans at the same time intervals to account for test–retest effects. The imaging data were investigated with functional connectivity (FC) analysis and dynamic causal modelling.

Results showed that 1 year of DBS treatment was associated with increased FC of the left amygdala with precentral cortex and left insula, along with decreased bilateral connectivity between nucleus accumbens and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. No changes in FC were observed during the cross-over phase. Effective connectivity analyses using dynamic causal models revealed widespread amygdala-centric changes between presurgery and 1 year follow-up, while the cross-over phase was associated with insula-centric changes between active and sham stimulation.

These results suggest that ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule DBS results in complex rebalancing of the limbic network involved in emotion, reward, and interoceptive processing.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an important treatment for Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia in appropriately selected patients. The Canada Health Act emphasizes equity and “reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services.” How to define “reasonable access” has not been well studied. We aimed to assess access to DBS implantation surgery and to determine the time required from initial assessment through to surgery and which step(s) delay the implantation.

DBS implants from 2016 to 2023 at the University of Alberta were analyzed. The neurologists’ decision to proceed with DBS marks the start of the workup. The time required to see a neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist and healthcare allies and to receive DBS surgery was assessed. The impact of COVID-19 was studied.

The total time from starting the workup to DBS surgery was 387.76 ± 125.19 days prior to COVID-19, and marked delay occurred during and post-COVID-19 (840.15 ± 165.41 days and 839.78 ± 300.66 days, respectively). Most workups were done within 6 months pre-COVID-19, although a big range existed due to variable factors. The longest delay to surgery was from consent to DBS implantation, owing to a lack of operative time. There has not been a recovery post-pandemic.

Time to DBS implantation surgery from initial decision is lengthy and more than doubled over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest delay was in the time from consent to implantation surgery, which has not improved despite the pandemic having ended.

To introduce the Emory 10-element Complex Figure (CF) scoring system and recognition task. We evaluated the relationship between Emory CF scoring and traditional Osterrieth CF scoring approach in cognitively healthy volunteers. Additionally, a cohort of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) evaluation was assessed to compare the scoring methods in a clinical population.

The study included 315 volunteers from the Emory Healthy Brain Study (EHBS) with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores of 24/30 or higher. The clinical group consisted of 84 DBS candidates. Scoring time differences were analyzed in a subset of 48 DBS candidates.

High correlations between scoring methods were present for non-recognition components in both cohorts (EHBS: Copy r = 0.76, Immediate r = 0.86, Delayed r = 0.85, Recognition r = 47; DBS: Copy r = 0.80, Immediate r = 0.84, Delayed Recall r = 0.85, Recognition r = 0.37). Emory CF scoring times were significantly shorter than Osterrieth times across non-recognition conditions (all p < 0.00001, individual Cohen’s d: 1.4–2.4), resulting in an average time savings of 57%. DBS patients scored lower than EHBS participants across CF memory measures, with larger effect sizes for Emory CF scoring (Cohen’s d range = 1.0–1.2). Emory CF scoring demonstrated better group classification in logistic regression models, improving DBS candidate classification from 16.7% to 32.1% compared to Osterrieth scoring.

Emory CF scoring yields results that are highly correlated with traditional Osterrieth scoring, significantly reduces scoring time burden, and demonstrates greater sensitivity to memory decline in DBS candidates. Its efficiency and sensitivity make Emory CF scoring well-suited for broader implementation in clinical research.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) improves motor outcomes in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but may have adverse long-term effects on specific cognitive domains. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between total electrical energy (TEED) delivered by DBS and postoperative changes in verbal fluency.

Seventeen PD patients undergoing bilateral STN-DBS were assessed with the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB), which includes phonemic (PVF), semantic (SVF), and alternate verbal fluency (AVF) tests, before surgery (T0) and after 6 (T1) and 12 months (T2). Bilateral TEED and average TEEDM were recorded at T1 and T2. For each AVFB measurement, changes from T0 to T1 (Δ-01) and from T0 to T2 (Δ-02) were calculated.

At T1, PVF (p = 0.007) and SVF scores (p = 0.003) decreased significantly. TEED measures at T1 and T2 were unrelated to Δ-01 and Δ-02 scores, respectively. However, an inverse, marginally significant association was detected between the TEEDM and Δ-01 scores for the AVF (p = 0.041, against an αadjusted = 0.025).

In conclusion, the present reports provide preliminary evidence that TEED may not be responsible or only slightly responsible for the decline in VF performance after STN-DBS in PD.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an FDA-approved treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD), for which the medical workup includes routine pre- and post- operative neuropsychological assessment to determine potential surgical cognitive risk. Existing research suggests that cognitively normal individuals experience good cognitive outcome, whereas those with pre-existing cognitive deficits are prone to accelerated cognitive decline post-DBS. The goal of this study is to identify characteristics that determine which individuals with PD are at risk for accelerated post-DBS cognitive loss, and to characterize the nature of the decline in this population.

We conducted a retrospective chart review of PD- DBS patients who completed their DBS workup and surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital NYC between 2015 and 2022. Non-English speakers were excluded from this study due to small sample size and use of a neurocognitive battery different from that of English speakers. Using repeated measures t-tests, chi square, and regression analyses, we explored variables related to disease (e.g., duration, L-Dopa burden, DBS target), socio-demographic background (e.g., age onset, current age, education), assessment modality (telehealth vs in-office), neurocognitive performances (e.g., WMS-IV Logical Memory (LM), HVLT-R, WASI-II Matrix & Similarities, WAIS-IV Digit Span), and cognitive diagnosis (amnestic vs non-amnestic MCI) for all individuals in the sample. At the individual level, we utilized Reliable Change Indices (RCI) to identify clinically significant cognitive differences from pre- to post-DBS exam. We considered LM- Delayed Recall (LMDR) as a proxy for memory loss, as this cognitive function is expected to remain generally unchanged post PD-DBS. Therefore, decline on this measure in the first year after DBS could indicate a change in global memory function and possible evidence of accelerated postoperative decline.

Of 65 charts reviewed, 44 patients were native English-speaking and included in our analyses. At the group level, there were no significant differences in disease characteristics, socio-demographic variables, or cognitive classification between those who declined versus those who did not decline on LMDR. Regression statistics for predictors of cognitive decline also were non-significant. Of the eight individuals who declined on LMDR, one patient declined on a total of one neuropsychological measure, four declined on a total of two measures, two declined on a total of three measures, and one declined on a total of four measures. Two of these eight individuals had a diagnosis that changed to amnestic MCI based on concomitant interval history of ADL compromise. Of these two individuals, one declined in two tests and the other declined in four tests. Six of the eight individuals who declined also showed abnormalities in their imaging with either edema or hemorrhage.

Our analysis is unique in that we explored cognitive decline at both the group and individual levels. Despite this, we did not find predictors of post-DBS cognitive decline. Further detailed analysis of additional post-operative factors that might play a greater role in our understanding of this phenomenon is warranted. This said, our data do support that the majority of individuals with non-amnestic MCI did not decline cognitively.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proposed to improve symptoms of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) but is not yet an established therapy.

To identify relevant guidelines and assess their recommendations for the use of DBS in OCD.

Medline, Embase, American Psychiatric Association PsycInfo and Scopus were searched, as were websites of relevant societies and guideline development organisations. The review was based on the PRISMA recommendations, and the search strategy was verified by a medical librarian. The protocol was developed and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022353715). The guidelines were assessed for quality using the AGREE II instrument.

Nine guidelines were identified. Three guidelines scored >80% on AGREE II. ‘Scope and Purpose’ and ‘Editorial Independence’ were the highest scoring domains, but ‘Applicability’ scores were low. Eight guidelines recommended that DBS is used after all other treatment options have failed to alleviate OCD symptoms. One guideline did not recommend DBS beyond a research setting. Only one guideline performed a cost-effectiveness analysis; the other eight did not provide details on safe or effective DBS protocols.

Despite a very limited evidence base, eight of the nine identified guidelines supported the use of DBS for OCD as a last line of therapy; however, multiple aspects of DBS provision were not addressed.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Post-operative cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may augment the effects of DBS, but previous results are conflicting. Here, we investigated whether CBT augments the effect of DBS for OCD.

Patients with and without CBT following DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule were included. First, we analyzed Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores before, during and after CBT in all patients with CBT. Second, we matched patients with and without CBT based on clinical baseline variables and initial response to DBS and compared the course of Y-BOCS and HAM-D scores over the same timeframe.

In total, 36 patients with and 16 patients without CBT were included. Average duration of CBT was 10.4 months (s.d. 6.4). In the 36 patients with CBT, Y-BOCS scores decreased on average by 3.8 points (14.8%) from start until end of CBT (p = 0.043). HAM-D scores did not decrease following CBT. Second, 10 patients with CBT were matched to 10 patients without CBT. In both groups, Y-BOCS scores decreased equally from start until end of CBT or over a similar timeframe (10% in CBT group v. 13.1% in no-CBT group, p = 0.741).

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms decreased over time in patients with and without post-operative CBT. Therefore, further improvement may be attributed to late effects of DBS itself. The present study emphasizes the need for prospective randomized controlled studies, examining the effects of CBT.