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Body Weight Changes after Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Depression.
Rosalie S N Linssen1, Marloes S Oudijn, Mariska Mantione
1Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
|October 11, 2017
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) did not lead to significant weight changes in a larger patient cohort. This challenges earlier findings of weight loss after DBS for OCD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- A previous case report noted weight loss and smoking cessation following deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- This observation prompted further investigation into the broader effects of DBS on body weight in patients with psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if the weight loss observed in a single case report after DBS for OCD is a generalizable effect.
- To analyze body weight changes in a larger cohort of patients undergoing DBS for OCD or major depressive disorder (MDD).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of body mass index (BMI) data from 46 patients (30 OCD, 16 MDD) who underwent DBS.
- Average BMI was calculated at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 3.8 years.
Main Results:
- Overall, there was no significant change in average BMI across the entire cohort after DBS.
- Patients with baseline obesity (BMI > 35) showed a non-significant decrease in BMI, while normal or overweight patients showed a non-significant increase.
- Individual weight changes varied, but group-level analysis revealed no significant impact of DBS on body weight for either OCD or MDD.
Conclusions:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for OCD or MDD does not result in significant group-level body weight changes.
- The findings do not support the generalization of weight loss observed in a prior case report.
- Further research may be needed to explore factors influencing individual weight responses to DBS.
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