Deep brain stimulation restores frontostriatal network activity in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurosurgery
• Psychiatry

Background:

• The neural mechanisms underlying deep brain stimulation (DBS) remain largely unknown.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition often treated with neuromodulation techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural effects of DBS targeting the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in patients with OCD.
• To elucidate how DBS modulates brain activity and connectivity associated with OCD symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) was applied to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in patients with OCD.
• Neuroimaging techniques were used to assess NAc activity, NAc-prefrontal cortex connectivity, and frontal oscillations during symptom provocation.

Main Results:

• DBS normalized nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity during symptom provocation.
• Excessive connectivity between the NAc and prefrontal cortex was reduced by DBS.
• Frontal low-frequency oscillations decreased following DBS treatment.

Conclusions:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively reduces maladaptive activity and connectivity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc).
• These findings provide insight into the neural mechanisms through which DBS alleviates OCD symptoms.