Preliminary study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder treated with electrical stimulation in the inferior thalamic peduncle.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation has been used in the treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our principal objective was to determine the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation of the inferior thalamic peduncle in the treatment of refractory OCD.

Methods: An open protocol was performed from March 2003 to April 2007 in 5 patients with OCD refractory to conventional treatments.