Deep Brain Stimulation – Significance, Risk, Expectations

by Manya Verma Health care and lifestyle

The procedure of deep brain stimulation touches on the implantation of electrodes in specific areas of your brain. These electrodes, according to the best neurosurgeon in India are responsible for producing electrical stimuli that help in the regulation of abnormal impulses. Or else, the electrical stimuli can exert an influence on particular cells and chemicals present within the brain.

·         The degree of spur caused in the midst of deep brain stimulation is managed by a pacemaker type device made to rest under the skin on your upper chest.

·         By means of a wire that traverses underneath your skin, this device gets connected to the electrodes in the brain.

·         A neuro surgeon India says that the treatment of deep brain stimulation is found to be appropriate to treat a selection of conditions, for example:

o   Dystonia

o   Epilepsy

o   Essential tremor

o   Obsessive-compulsive disorder

o   Parkinson's disease

·         Also, research is on to establish the efficacy of deep brain stimulation as a likely treatment for:

o   Addiction

o   Chronic pain

o   Cluster headache

o   Dementia

o   Depression

o   Huntington's disease

o   Multiple sclerosis

o   Stroke recovery

o   Tourette syndrome

o   Traumatic brain injury

Why is deep brain stimulation done?

·         It’s a proven treatment aimed at people having movement-related disorders such as:

o   Essential tremor

o   Parkinson's disease

o   Dystonia

o   Psychiatric conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder

·         Also, it’s an approved paralysis treatment in India with focus on reducing seizures in extreme cases of epilepsy.

·         Deep brain stimulation is held in reserve for people who have been unable to be in charge of their symptoms with treatment through medications.

Risks

·         As per a top neurosurgeon in India even though deep brain stimulation is a minimally invasive surgery, still, as is the case with any other surgery, it too carries the risk of complications.

·         Moreover, the stimulation of the brain in the thing can cause side effects.

Surgery risks

·         Deep brain stimulation implicates the creation of small holes within the skull to embed the electrodes.

·         In addition, surgery is carried out for embedding the device containing the batteries beneath the skin on the chest.

·         Complications resulting from surgery include:

o   Bleeding in the brain

o   Breathing problems

o   Heart problems

o   Infection

o   Misplacement of lead

o   Nausea

o   Seizure

o   Stroke

·         Possible side effects post-surgery

·         The various offshoots of deep brain stimulation after the surgery may take in the following.

o   Confusion

o   Difficulty concentrating

o   Erosion of the lead wire

o   Headache

o   Infection

o   Seizure

o   Stroke

o   Temporary pain and inflammation at the site of implantation

·         A few weeks following the surgery, the device will be made to turn on and the next course of action for you is to find the most effective settings for the device.

·         A few settings may produce side effects which often show improvement with the gradual adjustment in the settings of your device.

·         Potential side effects of stimulation may include the following.

o   Numbness

o