No Consistent Antidepressant Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis.

Background: Applying deep brain stimulation (DBS) to several brain regions has been investigated in attempts to treat highly treatment-resistant depression, with variable results. Our initial pilot data suggested that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) could be a promising therapeutic target.

Objective: The aim of this study was to gather blinded data exploring the efficacy of applying DBS to the BNST in patients with highly refractory depression.

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Mood Effects.

This meta-analysis examines mood changes after bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Deep brain stimulation improves motor outcomes in Parkinson's disease but there appears to be conflicting reports as to subsequent mood outcomes. Pubmed, PsychINFO and SCOPUS were searched for studies assessing mood outcomes in PD patients who had undergone STN-DBS published between January 2003 and the end of January 2019.

Tractography-Guided Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anteromedial Globus Pallidus Internus for Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Case Report.

Background And Importance: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder, mainly treated with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Surgical intervention may be appropriate for patients with treatment-refractory OCD. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an alternative for previously common ablative surgical procedures.

A pilot study of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression.

Background: Studies are increasingly investigating the therapeutic effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) applied to a variety of brain regions in the treatment of patients with highly treatment refractory depression. Limited research to date has investigated the therapeutic potential of DBS applied to the Bed Nucleus Of Stria Terminalis (BNST).

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic potential of DBS applied to the BNST.

Deep brain stimulation for severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open-label case series.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation can be of benefit in carefully selected patients with severe intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of this paper is to describe the outcomes of the first seven deep brain stimulation procedures for obsessive-compulsive disorder undertaken at the Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital. The primary objective was to assess the response to deep brain stimulation treatment utilising the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale as a measure of symptom severity.

Increased premotor cortex activation in high functioning autism during action observation.

The mirror neuron (MN) hypothesis of autism has received considerable attention, but to date has produced inconsistent findings. Using functional MRI, participants with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome were compared to typically developing individuals (n=12 in each group). Participants passively observed hand gestures that included waving, pointing, and grasping.

Increased left hemisphere impairment in high-functioning autism: a tract based spatial statistics study.

There is evidence emerging from Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) research that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with greater impairment in the left hemisphere. Although this has been quantified with volumetric region of interest analyses, it has yet to be tested with white matter integrity analysis. In the present study, tract based spatial statistics was used to contrast white matter integrity of 12 participants with high-functioning autism or Aspergers syndrome (HFA/AS) with 12 typically developing individuals.

The anteromedial GPi as a new target for deep brain stimulation in obsessive compulsive disorder.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is now well established in the treatment of intractable movement disorders. Over the past decade the clinical applications have expanded into the realm of psychosurgery, including depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The optimal targets for electrode placement in psychosurgery remain unclear, with numerous anatomical targets reported for the treatment of OCD.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain and spine metastases.

Metastases to the brain and spine are common and difficult to treat. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a non-invasive treatment option for some individuals, and may obviate the need for open surgery and/or whole brain radiotherapy. Over the past decade there has been an increased number of patients undergoing SRS for the treatment of metastatic disease, and multiple published studies show favourable results in terms of local disease control.

Mirror neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are developmental conditions characterized by deficits in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and obsessive/stereotyped patterns of behaviour. Although there is no reliable neurophysiological marker associated with ASDs, dysfunction of the parieto-frontal mirror neuron system has been suggested as a disturbance linked to the disorder. Mirror neurons (MNs) are visuomotor neurons which discharge both when performing and observing a goal directed action.

Neurosurgery for obsessive-compulsive disorder: contemporary approaches.

Surgery for psychiatric disorders has a controversial history. Traditionally, procedures were undertaken to physically disconnect or destroy certain areas of the brain thought to constitute critical components of the limbic pathways. The relatively recent advent of the much safer and non-destructive technique known as deep brain stimulation has coincided with a resurgence in interest in psychosurgery.

BMP-7 (OP-1) safety in anterior cervical fusion surgery.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are increasingly used in spinal fusion surgery. Previous reports of BMP use in anterior cervical fusion have suggested high rates of complications related to soft tissue swelling. We evaluate the safety of using BMP-7 osteogenic protein (OP-1); Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI, USA) in a relatively contained form and controlled dose.

Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: Australian referral guidelines.

The advent of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been an important advance in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS may be employed in the management of medication-refractory tremor or treatment-related motor complications, and may benefit between 4.5% and 20% of patients at some stage of their disease course.

Peripheral neuromodulation for pain.

The past decade (1999-2009) has witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of electrical stimulation to treat chronic, intractable pain. The implantation of electrodes in close proximity to peripheral nerves, known as peripheral nerve stimulation, has been enthusiastically adopted by neurosurgeons and interventional pain specialists. The most common conditions treated with this technique are headache and complex regional pain syndromes.

Surgery for pharmacoresistant epilepsy in the developing world: A pilot study.

Epilepsy prevalence in the developing world is many fold that found in developed countries. For individuals whose conditions failed to respond to pharmacotherapy, surgery is the only opportunity for cure. In Uganda, we developed a center for treatment of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (iTLE) that functions within the technologic and expertise constraints of a severely low resource area.

Stimulating the human midbrain to reveal the link between pain and blood pressure.

The periaqueductal grey area (PAG) in the midbrain is an important area for both cardiovascular control and modulation of pain. However, the precise relationship between pain and blood pressure is unknown. We prospectively studied 16 patients undergoing deep brain stimulation of the rostral PAG for chronic pain.

Deep brain stimulation for neuropathic pain.

Objectives.  To determine whether deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment for neuropathic pain of varied etiology. Material and Methods.

Neuromodulation for movement disorders.

The field of movement disorder surgery is expanding rapidly. This has been accompanied by improvements in neuromodulation technology and neuroimaging, in addition to a realisation that the medical and destructive neurosurgical methods previously employed do not provide an acceptable long-term benefit for many of these patients. The contemporary treatment of Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and other tremulous disorders using deep brain chronic electrical stimulation will be reviewed, and future directions discussed.

Long-term seizure outcome following surgery for dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor.

Object: Resection of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) is thought to result in favorable seizure outcome, but long-term follow-up data are scarce. The authors present a review of 18 patients who underwent surgical removal of a DNET: 12 via temporal lobectomy and six via lesionectomy.

Methods: The mean long-term follow up was 10.

STN vs. Pallidal Stimulation in Parkinson Disease: Improvement With Experience and Better Patient Selection.

Objectives.  This is a prospective study to determine the outcomes of subthalamic nucleus (STN) vs. globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) at our institution.

Connectivity of the human periventricular-periaqueductal gray region.

Object: The periventricular gray (PVG) zone and its continuation, the periaqueductal gray (PAG) substance, have been targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the alleviation of intractable pain for longer than two decades. Nevertheless, the anatomical connectivity of this region has been fairly poorly defined. The effects of DBS in this region are probably related to the release of endogenous endorphins, but until the connectivity of this region is better understood the mechanisms will remain unclear.

Thalamotomy versus thalamic stimulation for multiple sclerosis tremor.

Disabling intractable tremor occurs frequently in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is currently no effective medical treatment available, and the results of surgical intervention have been variable. Thalamotomy has been the mainstay of neurosurgical therapy for intractable MS tremor, however the popularisation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has led to the adoption of chronic thalamic stimulation in an attempt to ameliorate this condition.