Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 29, 2025
10:11
Updated Technique for Reliable, Easy, and Tolerated Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Including Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Published on: January 3, 2020
11.5K
Constant Current versus Constant Voltage: Clinical Evidence Supporting a Fundamental Difference in the Modalities
Drew S Kern1,2, Alfonso Fasano3,4, John A Thompson5,6
1Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA, drew.kern@cuanschutz.edu.
Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
|November 23, 2020
Summary
Constant current (CC) deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively manages Parkinson's disease by maintaining consistent current delivery, unlike constant voltage (CV) systems, resolving adverse effects like diplopia.
Area of Science:
- Neuromodulation
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a key surgical treatment for movement disorders.
- Early DBS systems used constant voltage (CV), while newer platforms allow constant current (CC) programming.
- CC stimulation offers theoretical advantages for treatment management.
Observation:
- A case series of three Parkinson's disease patients with subthalamic nucleus DBS reported intermittent diplopia triggered by scalp pressure.
- This symptom was linked to impedance changes in CV mode, causing increased current delivery.
- Patients experienced unilateral eye adduction during CV stimulation with scalp compression.
Findings:
- Converting patients from CV to CC stimulation eliminated diplopia and eye deviation during scalp compression.
- Constant current (CC) stimulation maintained consistent current output despite impedance fluctuations.
- Objective findings of eye deviation resolved after switching to CC mode.
Implications:
- This case series provides clinical evidence supporting the distinct benefits of CC over CV stimulation in DBS.
- Constant current (CC) DBS may offer improved management and reduced side effects compared to constant voltage (CV).
- Understanding stimulation modes is crucial for optimizing DBS therapy and patient outcomes.
More Related Videos
11:26Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Device Development: An Updated Protocol Used at Home in Healthy Subjects and Fibromyalgia Patients
Published on: July 14, 2018
17.7K
11:07In Vivo Intracellular Recording of Type-Identified Rat Spinal Motoneurons During Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation
Published on: May 11, 2020
5.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:27Controlled-Current Coulometry: Overview
483
Controlled current coulometry, also known as amperostatic coulometry, is a technique used in electrochemical analysis to measure the quantity of a substance through the controlled passage of current. It involves the application of a constant current to an electrochemical cell containing the analyte of interest. As the current flows through the cell, the analyte undergoes a redox reaction at the electrode surface, resulting in a charge transfer. By monitoring the time required for a certain...
483
01:17Linear Circuits
701
A linear circuit is characterized by its output having a direct proportionality to its input, adhering to the linearity property, which encompasses the principles of homogeneity (scaling) and additivity. Homogeneity dictates that when the input, also referred to as the excitation, is multiplied by a constant factor, the output, known as the response, is correspondingly scaled by the same constant factor. For instance, if the current is multiplied by a constant 'k,' the voltage likewise...
701
01:10Electrical Current
6.5K
Electrical current is defined as the rate at which charge flows. When there is a large current present, such as that used to run a refrigerator, a large amount of charge moves through the wire in a small amount of time. If the current is small, such as that used to operate a handheld calculator, a small amount of charge moves through the circuit over a long period of time. The SI unit for current is the ampere (A), named for the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836).
6.5K
01:20AC Sources
3.5K
Direct current is a flow of electric charge in only one direction and has a steady state of constant voltage in the circuit. Rectifiers, batteries, commutator-equipped generators, and fuel cells are some examples of devices that generate direct current. Nowadays, most applications use a time-varying voltage source. Alternating current is a flow of electric charge that periodically reverses direction. An alternating current is produced by an alternating emf that is generated in a power plant. If...
3.5K
01:18Sinusoidal Sources
909
Direct current (DC) refers to an electric current that flows in a single direction, maintaining a constant polarity. This is in contrast to alternating current (AC), which periodically changes its direction and magnitude. AC forms the backbone of modern electricity transmission and distribution systems due to its efficient long-distance transmission capabilities.
In homes, the power supplies use sinusoidal sources to provide electricity. These sources generate a voltage that varies sinusoidally...
In homes, the power supplies use sinusoidal sources to provide electricity. These sources generate a voltage that varies sinusoidally...
909
01:21Ohm's Law
6.7K
Many materials exhibit a simple relationship between the values of current, voltage, and resistance, known as Ohm’s law. The current that flows through most substances is directly proportional to the voltage applied to them. The German physicist Georg Simon Ohm (1787–1854) was the first to demonstrate experimentally that the current in a metal wire is directly proportional to the voltage applied. Any material, component, or device that obeys Ohm’s law, where the current...
6.7K