Deep-brain stimulation could improve memory

While a team of Canadian doctors was using the technique of deep-brain stimulation to suppress an obese man's appetite, the man suddenly recalled in details a scene decades earlier instead of losing his appetite. Further tests showed his ability to learn was dramatically improved.

The lead author said the discovery was totally unexpected and the team is now applying the technique to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease in a trial. The findings, reported in the Annals of Neurology, might provide benefit to patients with memory disorders.

Tourette syndrome can be treated with deep brain stimulation

A small randomised and double-blinded study of 5 adults with Tourette syndrome (TS) suggests that the tic frequency and severity of some TS patients can be reduced by a technique called deep brain stimulation ( DBS) that has shown success for Parkinson’s and dystonia - sending electric impulses to specific parts of the brain.


Source: "Prospective randomized double-blind trial of bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation in adults with Tourette syndrome" Journal of Neurosurgery
November 2007 Volume 107, Number 5 DOI: 10.3171/jns.2007.107.5.1004