Premium Essay

Deep Brain Stimulation Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 629
Pages 3
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure used as treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and other illnesses. During this procedure, the brain is stimulated in specific areas using electrodes. DBS started being used in the 80s as treatment severe tremors and Parkinson's disease. It was not until recently that this treatment began being used for OCD patients. Deep brain stimulation should not be used as treatment for OCD, because it is a highly experimental procedure and there is much difficulty in targeting electrode placement for optimal efficiency. However, there have been promising results for OCD patients who have gone through with DBS. In a report published by Greenburg (2008), 61.5% of 26 patients were considered responders to the treatment. Deep brain stimulation is seen as a controversial method of treatment and definitely requires more research.
Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment used to minimize tremor and to stop involuntary motion, commonly used for patients with motion disorders as well as OCD. Electrodes are placed in certain areas of …show more content…
It is difficult to compare results of DBS treatments, because different techniques in different brain regions are used. Surgical complication of this procedure may include bleeding in the brain, stroke, or breathing problems. Professor Keith Matthews from NMD Service stated in the Scottish Executive in 2006 that DBS is not a simple treatment to perform. It is also not free from hazard as it is often misrepresented by clinicians. There are various issues with this procedure such a difficulty in targeting placement for the electrode, the development of pre and post procedure protocols, developing responses for treatment failures. The various unresolved issues suggests that it would be unwise to choose DBS over ablative

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Anorexia Nervosa

...Research Paper: Deep Brain Stimulation in Chronic and Severe Anorexia Nervosa Search Engine: Google; Psychiatric Times Nursing_028 Adult & Adolescent Mental Health Adaption Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder in which eating, food, and weight control become obsessions. People who live with this disorder tend to weight themselves repeatedly, portion control, and eats only small portion of specific foods. Thoughts about dieting, foods, and body may take up most of your day leaving little to no time to enjoy other aspects of life. Anorexia affects both men and women of all ages. It can damage your health and created possible threats to life. Those who suffer with anorexia nervosa tend to loose their sense of self because no matter how skinny her or she becomes it is never enough. Although, those who suffer from this disorder deny it most of the time recovery is possible through various treatment methods. In Doctor Blake Woodside article “ Deep Brain Stimulation in Chronic and Severe Anorexia Nervosa” he mentions that current treatments show few significant improvements in patients who have chronic forms of Anorexia Nervosa. Deep brain simulations was originally used to reduce tremors and block involuntary movement in patients with motion disorders. Recently, it has been under investigation to use this treatment for psychiatric disorders. Deep brain stimulation treatment occurs when a patient undergoes the placement of surgically implanted electrodes into specific areas...

Words: 645 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Pacemaker for the Brains

...Jesse Smith Pacemakers For the Brain April 12, 2016 Pacemakers For the Brain Pacemakers for the brain are mainly used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Today’s researchers believe the pacemaker could be used to improve brain function and to ward off many different diseases. Hearts have been regulated by electronic implants longer than the brain. This paper will explain what brain pacemakers are and how it is evolving over the years. Nearly fifteen years ago, in France, pacemakers for the brain were implanted into humans. In 1997, the first United States use of pacemakers was approved. “Scientists have shown that using deep brain stimulations, a technique used to treat Parkinson’s disease, can boost memory by causing new brain cells to be formed” (Reporter, D.M). This procedure had been performed infrequently and not surprisingly, until very recently. Researchers say the science of the pacemaker just was not there and the majority of the outcomes were horrifying. But now, the science of the brain has become better understood, and the long-term outcomes of the pacemaker for the brain have shown to be both successful and harmless. However, this all could be about to change. “By the end of this year, the group hopes to begin using deep brain-electrical stimulation to try and awaken patients who suffered sever brain damage and live in cognitive limbo”(Regalado, A). In 2003, the first experiment on how the pacemaker was adapted to help people suffering from depression was run. “Four...

Words: 727 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cognitive Psychology Definitions Paper

...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Gregory Finch PSY/360 Axia College/University of Phoenix Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Because of a prominent contrast, behaviorism and cognitive psychology are often compared. Cognitive psychology focuses on determining understandable explanations of the human mental processes, whereas behaviorism does not address the concerns of mental processes. The main objective of cognitive psychology is to explain the human transformation of thoughts into manifistations by a cognitive process. As behaviorism was being questioned and at the end of popular opinion, cognitive psychology, with the assistance of the application of abstract concepts, neuroscience, and new technology sprung into existence. With a scientific approach of the psyche, cognitive psychology has allowed new applications in the treatment of human dysfunction and disease. It is the intension of this paper to discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology while identifying a minimum of four prominent milestones in the development of the discipline of cognitive psychology. Cognitive Psychology Defined According to Merriam-Webster, by definition, cognitive psychology is “a branch of psychology concerned with mental processes (as...

Words: 1019 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Tourette’s Syndrome

...What is the truth about Tourette’s Syndrome? Jake Walter Herzing University Abstract Though out this paper, we will discuss the truth and myths behind Tourette’s syndrome and insure we have a good understanding of what the disorder really is. We will try to break the Hollywood stereotype of this disorder and who are really the worst hit from Tourette’s syndrome. We will also discuss what the patient’s symptoms will be and what they may go through and classified the types of symptoms known as tics into motor and vocal. Finally, we will discuss what treatment options they may have and what hope someone may have who is suffering from this disorder; furthermore, what organizations are out there to help with the disease. I hope this gives you some more details on Tourette’s syndrome and what a person or their family may go through when suffering from this disorder. I know that researching it and find out all the information I could really open my eyes to what people go through and how challenging life can be. What is Tourette’s syndrome? Tourette's syndrome has the misnomer of being a disease where you use profanity and yell inappropriate words in a public environment. However, it can be much more serious and challenging to deal with that is only a symptom of the disease. The disorder was first documented in 1885 by a French Doctor named Georges Gilles de la Tourette; he would be considering a Neurologist in today standards. The Doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette Name...

Words: 1945 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Mayo Clinic

...in 1910. He took the view that it would be foolish for a single practitioner to assume he or she had sufficient knowledge of medicine. He maintained that it is in the best interest of the patient to have practitioners join forces and coordinate care (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research [MFMER], n.d.-a.) Patients realized the benefits of a team of medical experts, so patients travelled long distances for diagnosis and treatment. The Mayo Clinic website states that the "group practice concept that the Mayo family originated has influenced the structure and function of medical practice throughout the world" (MFMER, n.d.-b). According to the website, the Mayo Clinic has grown from three physicians (father and two sons) to over 55,000 staff at locations in the Midwest, Arizona, and Florida. The Mayo Clinic is most famous for its implementation of an "integrated, multi-specialty, group practice" (MFMER, n.d.-c). Mayo Clinic Community Service Reflects Mission and Values According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (n.d.), Mayo Clinic's mission is to "provide the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research." The Mayo Clinic's values involve positive and forward looking statements regarding respect, compassion, integrity, healing, teamwork, excellence, innovation, and stewardship (MFMER, n.d.-d). The Mayo brothers set the precedent for their future staff in visiting other hospitals around the world...

Words: 1959 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Science Article

...question paper. Paper Reference 6BI05/01 Turn over N37096A ©2010 Edexcel Limited. 1/1/1/1/1/ *N37096A* Scientific Article for use with Question 7 It’s All in the Mind The link between the brain as a physical organ and what we feel in our conscious mind has long been the subject of research, particularly where we appear to be unable to control aspects of mood or behaviour and where normal life is affected. Stress, pain and depression can be explained in terms of nerve impulses and brain chemistry, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease are well understood, but finding reliable ways of correcting problems has proved elusive. Understanding more about how the brain works may well lead to new methods for treating such problems. Dancing Worms and Deep Depression In a laboratory in Germany, a tiny worm dances to flashes of light. A flash of yellow and it darts forward. A flash of blue and it jerks back. Yellow, forward, blue, back – right on cue every time. The worm is not a toy or a robot but a living creature. It has been engineered so that its nerves and muscles can be controlled with light. With each flash of blue its neurons fire electric pulses, causing the muscles they control to clench. A flash of yellow stops the nerves firing, relaxing the worm’s muscles and lengthening its body once again. The worm is in the vanguard of a revolution in brain science – the most spectacular application yet of a technology that allows scientists to turn individual brain cells on...

Words: 7091 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Science Article

...the question paper. Paper Reference 6BI05/01 Turn over N37096A ©2010 Edexcel Limited. 1/1/1/1/1/ *N37096A* Scientific Article for use with Question 7 It’s All in the Mind The link between the brain as a physical organ and what we feel in our conscious mind has long been the subject of research, particularly where we appear to be unable to control aspects of mood or behaviour and where normal life is affected. Stress, pain and depression can be explained in terms of nerve impulses and brain chemistry, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease are well understood, but finding reliable ways of correcting problems has proved elusive. Understanding more about how the brain works may well lead to new methods for treating such problems. Dancing Worms and Deep Depression In a laboratory in Germany, a tiny worm dances to flashes of light. A flash of yellow and it darts forward. A flash of blue and it jerks back. Yellow, forward, blue, back – right on cue every time. The worm is not a toy or a robot but a living creature. It has been engineered so that its nerves and muscles can be controlled with light. With each flash of blue its neurons fire electric pulses, causing the muscles they control to clench. A flash of yellow stops the nerves firing, relaxing the worm’s muscles and lengthening its body once again. The worm is in the vanguard of a revolution in brain science – the most spectacular application yet of a technology that allows scientists to turn individual brain cells on and...

Words: 7091 - Pages: 29

Free Essay

Psychology

...CONSCIOUSNESS MOTIVATION EMOTION PERCEPTION SENSATION The diagram above illustrates some of the relationships between different aspects of psychology through sensation. What happens if people are denied on this contact, if they deprived of stimulation form the senses? However, recent research has made it more difficult to draw a clear line between sensation and perception. That research shows that the process of interpreting sensations begins in the sense organs themselves and continues into the brain. Even previous experience can shape what you sense, causing you not to notice. Sensory Systems The senses gather information about the world by detecting various forms of energy, such as sound, light, heat, and physical pressure. For example, the eyes detect light energy, the ears detect the of sound , and the skin detects the energy of heat and pressure. Humans depend primarily on vision, hearing, and the skin senses to gain information about the world: they depend less than other animals on smell and taste. There are also senses that provide information to the brain from the rest of the body. All of these senses must detect stimuli, encode them into neural activity, and transfer this coded information to the brain. Steps in Sensation At each step, sensory information is processed in some way: the information that arrives at one point in the system is not the same as to the information that goes to the next step. In some sensory systems, the first step in sensation...

Words: 4634 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

Parkinson's Disease

...sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinson’s disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that areproduced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another theory suggests that the effects of toxic affects of drugs may cause PD. Additional evidence suggests that PD may be related to environmental toxins...

Words: 3594 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Ptsd

...Introduction The human body has been designed a mechanism to deal with pain and damage. The human immune system deals with all kinds of injures. The human immune system helps regulate bodily functions. When the body is exposed to a certain amount of pain the body goes into shock. This can be a life threatening situation or it can be the bodies’ response to the life threatening situation allowing a solders to keep fighting and things of that nature. If the damage the body may go into what is called a "comatose" condition. Where all nonessential function shuts down for repairs. This is due to the trauma that was experienced. Many of these actions are automated. This is because God has a system in the body to regulate the body. With that in mind PTSD is put into two different categories. They would be direct exposure and indirect exposure to an event. Direct events would be first hand experiences but the person. A point in time that the person felt significant risk of life and limb. An indirect traumatic event would be if an individual would witness a traumatic event. The mind has the same kind of defense mechanism. This is used to cope with severe mental trauma or mental stress. When a person goes through extremely powerful mental trauma that the mind cannot deal with the pain many things happen. One of those things is PTSD or post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This report will look at this disorder from a biblical point of view using the lives of many people. Dreams The...

Words: 4114 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Parkinson's Disease

...in America alone. James Parkinson was a doctor in London where he wrote a paper about the symptoms of Parkinson. Symptoms for Parkinson’s disease are tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Usually these symptoms are caused in result of degeneration of nerve cells in the Mostly older people have a better chance of catching the disease than younger adults. Parkinson’s disease typically begins between the ages of 50 and 65, hitting about 1% of the population in that age group. For many decades there was not...

Words: 1109 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Caacac

...Research Review on the Biological Effect of Cell Phone Radiation on Human 1, 2 Ashraf A. Aly1, Safaai Bin Deris2, Nazar Zaki3 Faculty of Computer Science and Information Systems, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 3 College of Information Technology, UAE University, UAE Ashraf.ahmed@uaeu.ac.ae, safaai@utm.my, nzaki@uaeu.ac.ae increased incidence rate of traffic accidents due to the use of mobile phone while driving. The risk of exposure to electromagnetic field was first highlighted and publicized in the late 1970s by Colorado study [2] that linked magnetic field exposure from power lines to the possible development of child leukemia. The amount of RF generated by cell phone is usually depends on the number of base stations around the area, the cell phone network traffic, and on how far the cell phone from base stations. The amount of the power which sent from a base station could vary from cell phone to another one even within the same area, depends on the interfering from obstacles such as buildings and trees [3]. Although, cell phones are designed to operate at power levels below a threshold for known thermal effects, radio frequency radiation could produce other kinds of effects, called biological effects. In Figure 1, we show a calculation of specific absorbed radiation (SAR) distribution in an anatomical model of human head positioned next to a 125 mW dipole antenna. The resulted Peak SAR is 9.5 W/kg over 1 mg which is a clear indication of the effect. Abstract The growth...

Words: 4202 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Literature Review Acupuncture and Hemiplegia

...Acupuncture research in Cerebrovascular Accident induced hemiplegia. By Introduction to Cerebrovascular Accident and Hemiplegia Cerebrovascular Accident also known as stroke can broadly be described as an interruption of the blood supply to the brain. Without blood the brain cells are staved of oxygen, and can begin to die within minutes if the blood supply is completely cut off. It is this cellular death which has the greatest influence on the sequelae or after math of the stroke. Hemiplegia is the most common sequelae of stroke, this medical condition characterised by paralyses of one side of the body. It is similar to, but should not be confused with hemiparesis which is when one side of the body is weak but still mobile. While the leading cause of hemiplegia is a Cerebrovascular Accident, it is not the only cause, other neural conditions such as a unilateral pyramidal (UMN) lesion may also cause hemiplegia. It is difficult to discuss Hemiplegia without also discussing Stroke, similar to cause and effect, if stroke is the cause then hemiplegia is effect. A sudden stroke can be deadly, and how well someone recovers or if they recover depends largely on how fast they receive treatment. In Australia the most popular method for identifying stroke is the FAST test: * Face – Check their face. Has their mouth dropped? * Arms – Can they lift both arms? * Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? * Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these...

Words: 7532 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

Artificial Intelligence Versus the Human Mind

...Development………………………………………………………………..4 Technology in the 21st Century……………………………………………..4 Intelligence in the 21st Century……………………………………………..5 Artificial Intelligence and Modern Society……………………………………….....6 Advancements in Technology………………………………………………..7 Advancements in Human Education and Growth…………………………..8 Technology and its Role in Developing Human Minds…………………………..…9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...10 References…………………………………………………………………………....11 Introduction During the onset of what has been dubbed the Digital Age, a debate has arisen over the ethical and developmental implications of technology and the dependence of the human world on Artificial Intelligence. This paper serves as an added voice to the debate of Artificial Intelligence versus the Human Mind. The fundamental question being addressed is that of whether the rapid technological advancements that have and are still being made are stifling the growth of human innovation. The realization that technology is increasingly becoming a huge facet in the day to day lives of billions of people around the globe makes it ever more necessary to evaluate how dependent the world will be on it in the near future. For example, technology is used to determine weather patterns, determining the direction the global economy is taking and so forth. So it is pertinent for an evaluation to be made in relation to how detrimental an overreliance on Artificial Intelligence...

Words: 2894 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Lucid Dreaming

...Tiesha Cooper Trinity Christian College Basic Research Skills Dr. King Lucid Dreaming Holzinger (2009), suggests that dreams have been a major importance to cultures throughout the ages. Native Americans viewed dreams as portals to the spirit world, paths to prophecy and quests. A common phenomenon states, there is an experience in which one is aware that one is dreaming and is able to control what happens in the dream. This experience is known as lucid dreaming. Aristotle may have been the first to write about lucid dreaming, although he did not have a term for it (Holzinger B. , 2009). And some Tibetan Buddhists have been practicing something like lucid dreaming for a long time. In Tibetan Buddhism, it was practiced as a form of yoga, called dream yoga, from the eighth century. The goal of dream yoga is to examine your consciousness and bring you to a constant state of awareness. A big part of the belief system of Buddhism is recognizing the world for what it is, free from deception. A lucid dreamer recognizes the dream world for what it is, a dream (Holzinger B. , 2009). A Dutch psychiatrist named Frederik van Eeden came up with the term for lucid dreams in 1913. He claimed that there are nine well-defined types of dreams in all, including ordinary, symbolic and vivid dreams. He recorded several of his own lucid dreams, and his thoughts during them and upon awakening. He remarked that they often involved...

Words: 3143 - Pages: 13