The future of deep brain stimulation

During the last year, there has been an increase in the number of applications of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of several neurologic disorders. With a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of DBS, it is likely that improvement in the outcomes and an increase in the indications for these procedures will be possible. In fact, the knowledge gained with the applications of stimulation for movement disorders and pain has been leveraged toward the treatment of other disorders, including epilepsy and psychiatric conditions. This will act as a driving force to increase the efforts to improve the technology applied to design and manufacture new hardware.