March 2020: Efficacy of Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Damiaan Denys, M.D., Ph.D., and Ilse Graat, M.D., about their research on the tolerability and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

• What characterizes OCD, and how widespread is it? [2:35]
• What treatment with DBS involves [4:07]
• Outline of study methods [6:25]
• Why the part of the brain studied is relevant for DBS, and description of the scales used to measure how well the treatment worked [7:54]
• Main findings with regard to response of OCD symptoms in patients who received DBS [10:51]
• Discussion of adverse events [12:40]
• Implications of the work for researchers, clinicians, and other mental health professionals [14:54]
• What further studies should explore with regard to treatment with DBS [15:43]

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