A prospective international multi-center study on safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proposed for severe, chronic, treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Although serious adverse events can occur, only a few studies report on the safety profile of DBS for psychiatric disorders. In a prospective, open-label, interventional multi-center study, we examined the safety and efficacy of electrical stimulation in 30 patients with DBS electrodes bilaterally implanted in the anterior limb of the internal capsule.

Prolactin and oleic acid synergistically stimulate β-cell proliferation and growth in rat islets.

Islet adaptation to pregnancy is largely influenced by prolactin and placental lactogens. In addition serum lipids are significantly increased. Here, we report the novel observation that prolactin and oleic acid synergistically stimulate islet cell proliferation and islet growth.

Cognitive outcome after ventral capsule/ventral striatum stimulation for treatment-resistant major depression.

Background: We report the neuropsychological outcome of 25 patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) who participated in an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved randomised double-blind trial comparing active to sham deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the anterior limb of the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS).

Methods: Participants were randomised to active (n=12) versus sham (n=13) DBS for 16 weeks. Data were analysed at the individual and group levels.

A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Capsule/Ventral Striatum for Chronic Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Background: Multiple open-label trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), including those targeting the ventral capsule/ventral striatum target, have shown encouraging response rates. However, no randomized controlled trials of DBS for TRD have been published.

Methods: Thirty patients with TRD participated in a sham-controlled trial of DBS at the ventral capsule/ventral striatum target for TRD.