Proceedings of the 12th annual deep brain stimulation think tank: cutting edge technology meets novel applications.

The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Think Tank XII was held on August 21st to 23rd. This year we showcased groundbreaking advancements in neuromodulation technology, focusing heavily on the novel uses of existing technology as well as next-generation technology. Our keynote speaker shared the vision of using neuro artificial intelligence to predict depression using brain electrophysiology.

The Role of a Social Worker in the Deep Brain Stimulation Preoperative Evaluation: The DBS-FACTS Screening Tool.

Background: Social workers (SW) are part of multidisciplinary teams for many surgical disciplines. Their role in deep brain stimulation (DBS) presurgical evaluations has not been defined.

Objectives: The goal was to characterize the role of SWs in a multidisciplinary DBS presurgical evaluation team and to construct a screening tool to identify patients who could benefit from a preoperative SW consultation.

Clinically probable RBD is an early predictor of malignant non-motor Parkinson's disease phenotypes.

Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) significantly impact quality of life, especially in later stages. REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) affects approximately 42% of all PD patients and frequently precedes motor PD symptoms. RBD is linked to increased rates of depression and cognitive decline.

Exploring the layers of fatigue in Parkinson's Disease: A comprehensive analysis of its prevalence and contributing factors.

Background: Fatigue is a prevalent yet under-recognized non-motor symptom (NMS) of Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Despite its clinical importance, the relationship between fatigue and other motor and non-motor symptoms remains poorly understood. Its frequent co-occurrence with other NMS further complicates both diagnosis and management, often leading to underdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment.

Preventing Shift from Pneumocephalus During Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: Don't Give Up the 'Fork in the Brain'.

Clinical Vignette: We present the case of a patient who developed intra-operative pneumocephalus during left globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (DBS) placement for Parkinson's disease (PD). Microelectrode recording (MER) revealed that we were anterior and lateral to the intended target.

Clinical Dilemma: Clinically, we suspected brain shift from pneumocephalus.

Management of essential tremor deep brain stimulation-induced side effects.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical therapy for carefully selected patients with medication refractory essential tremor (ET). The most popular anatomical targets for ET DBS are the ventral intermedius nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus, the caudal zona incerta (cZI) and the posterior subthalamic area (PSA). Despite extensive knowledge in DBS programming for tremor suppression, it is not uncommon to experience stimulation induced side effects related to DBS therapy.