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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
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Deep Brain Stimulation with Simultaneous fMRI in Rodents
Published on: February 15, 2014
Deep brain stimulation induces white matter remodeling and functional changes to brain-wide networks
Satoka H Fujimoto1,2,3, Atsushi Fujimoto4,5,6, Catherine Elorette4,5
1Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. sfujimot@umn.edu.
Nature Neuroscience
|June 1, 2026
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can remodel white matter and alter brain networks. This study in macaques suggests these changes contribute to the therapeutic effects of DBS for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising therapy for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- The precise anatomical and functional mechanisms of DBS remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of DBS targeting white matter adjacent to the subcallosal anterior cingulate cortex (SCC-DBS) in macaques.
- To elucidate the cellular and network-level changes induced by SCC-DBS.
Main Methods:
- SCC-DBS was applied to macaques.
- White matter microstructure was assessed using fractional anisotropy.
- Cellular changes, including myelination, were examined.
- Brain-wide functional connectivity was analyzed.
Main Results:
- SCC-DBS selectively increased fractional anisotropy in the cingulum bundle, indicating white matter remodeling.
- Increased myelinated oligodendrocytes and myelination were observed in the mid-cingulum bundle.
- SCC-DBS altered functional connectivity between the SCC and multiple brain networks, including the default mode network.
Conclusions:
- White matter remodeling and network alterations are potential mechanisms underlying DBS efficacy.
- SCC-DBS influences brain networks implicated in depression.
