Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of the brain. These electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses. Or the electrical impulses can affect certain cells and chemicals within the brain. The amount of stimulation in deep brain stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in your upper chest. A wire that travels under your skin connects this device to the electrodes in your brain.

Deep brain stimulation is commonly used to treat a number of conditions, such as:

Parkinson's disease
Essential tremor
Dystonia
Epilepsy
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Why it's done

Deep brain stimulation is an established treatment for people with movement disorders, such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia, and psychiatric conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's also approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce seizures in difficult-to-treat epilepsy.

This treatment is reserved for people whose symptoms aren't controlled with medications.

Risks

Although deep brain stimulation is generally considered to be low risk, any type of surgery has the risk of complications. Also, the brain stimulation itself can cause side effects.

Surgery risks

Deep brain stimulation involves creating small holes in the skull to implant the electrodes into the brain tissue as well as performing surgery to implant the device that contains the batteries under the skin in the chest. Complications of surgery may include:
Misplacement of leads
Bleeding in the brain
Stroke
Infection
Breathing problems
Nausea
Heart problems
Seizure

Possible side effects after surgery

Side effects associated with deep brain stimulation may include:
Seizure
Infection
Headache
Confusion
Difficulty concentrating
Stroke
Hardware complications, such as an eroded lead wire
Temporary pain and swelling at the implantation site

A few weeks after the surgery, the device will be turned on and the process of finding the best settings for you begins. Some settings may cause side effects, but these often improve with further adjustments of your device.

Because there have been infrequent reports that the DBS therapy affects the movements needed for swimming, the Food and Drug Administration recommends consulting with your doctor and taking water safety precautions before swimming.