Deep brain stimulation of the subgenual cingulum and uncinate fasciculus for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been investigated for neuropsychiatric disorders. In this phase 1 trial, we treated four posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients with DBS delivered to the subgenual cingulum and the uncinate fasciculus. In addition to validated clinical scales, patients underwent neuroimaging studies and psychophysiological assessments of fear conditioning, extinction, and recall.

Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in the treatment of severe alcohol use disorder: a phase I pilot trial.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly prevalent, often refractory, medical illness. The symptoms of AUD are driven by dysfunction in several neurocircuits centered on the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Case reports and animal studies suggest NAc-DBS may be an effective harm-reduction treatment in severe AUD.