Mesandy
11-17-2007, 02:00 PM
New treatment may help those with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder
A successful treatment for Parkinson's disease also may provide relief for people with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will study the effects of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on the symptoms of OCD patients who have not found relief from other treatments.
"DBS is one of the most promising areas of OCD research because early studies show that it may help many within the approximately 20 percent of OCD patients for whom neither psychological nor drug therapy works," said Dr. Suzanne Haber in a press release. Haber, the lead investigagor and a professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, went on to say, "Some patients have been able to venture out to work and school for the first time with DBS."
DBS already has been used successfully to treat Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat these illnesses.
The DBS system relies on a microstimulator to block abnormal nerve signals in the brain with electrical stimulation. Also known as a "brain pacemaker," the microstimulator (or "neurostimulator") is a small battery-operated device that is surgically implanted under the skin, usually near the collarbone. The microstimulator connects to the brain via an insulated wire that passes under the skin of the shoulder, neck, and head. This wire (or extension) connects to the lead (or "electrode"), another insulated wire, implanted in the brain. The placement of the electrode is important; targeting different areas of the brain will have different results.
A 2005 study showed that DBS may be an effective treatment for severe clinical depression. The researchers at the University of Rochester say that about 25 patients with treatment-resistant OCD have tried DBS with "dramatic reductions in symptoms." The researchers aim to find which brain areas are involved with OCD, in order to best use DBS.
Researchers will use PET scans to show images of the patients' brains with and without the DBS treatment. PET scans measure changes in blood flow in the brain. These changes correspond to changes in the nerve networks of the brain. The results of these scans will help researchers improve OCD treatments as well as find new ones. According to the researchers, previous studies have shown that two brain structures in the basal ganglia are most involved with OCD. The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei found to affect movement and learning.
"Our research is part of a larger trend where researchers are seeking to replace older 'ablative' surgical techniques," Haber said. "These old methods, while bringing relief from a variety of debilitating diseases, also permanently destroy nerve circuits. Our hope is to use non-destructive procedures like DBS as a therapeutic approach for these devastating disorders."
References:
1) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease.
2) Schimelpfening, N (2005). Deep Brain Stimulation: New Treatment May Help the Treatment-Resistant.
3) University of Rochester Medical Center (2006). "NIH grant to support research on new treatment for severe OCD" (press release).
thanks,
mesandy:) .
A successful treatment for Parkinson's disease also may provide relief for people with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will study the effects of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on the symptoms of OCD patients who have not found relief from other treatments.
"DBS is one of the most promising areas of OCD research because early studies show that it may help many within the approximately 20 percent of OCD patients for whom neither psychological nor drug therapy works," said Dr. Suzanne Haber in a press release. Haber, the lead investigagor and a professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, went on to say, "Some patients have been able to venture out to work and school for the first time with DBS."
DBS already has been used successfully to treat Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat these illnesses.
The DBS system relies on a microstimulator to block abnormal nerve signals in the brain with electrical stimulation. Also known as a "brain pacemaker," the microstimulator (or "neurostimulator") is a small battery-operated device that is surgically implanted under the skin, usually near the collarbone. The microstimulator connects to the brain via an insulated wire that passes under the skin of the shoulder, neck, and head. This wire (or extension) connects to the lead (or "electrode"), another insulated wire, implanted in the brain. The placement of the electrode is important; targeting different areas of the brain will have different results.
A 2005 study showed that DBS may be an effective treatment for severe clinical depression. The researchers at the University of Rochester say that about 25 patients with treatment-resistant OCD have tried DBS with "dramatic reductions in symptoms." The researchers aim to find which brain areas are involved with OCD, in order to best use DBS.
Researchers will use PET scans to show images of the patients' brains with and without the DBS treatment. PET scans measure changes in blood flow in the brain. These changes correspond to changes in the nerve networks of the brain. The results of these scans will help researchers improve OCD treatments as well as find new ones. According to the researchers, previous studies have shown that two brain structures in the basal ganglia are most involved with OCD. The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei found to affect movement and learning.
"Our research is part of a larger trend where researchers are seeking to replace older 'ablative' surgical techniques," Haber said. "These old methods, while bringing relief from a variety of debilitating diseases, also permanently destroy nerve circuits. Our hope is to use non-destructive procedures like DBS as a therapeutic approach for these devastating disorders."
References:
1) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease.
2) Schimelpfening, N (2005). Deep Brain Stimulation: New Treatment May Help the Treatment-Resistant.
3) University of Rochester Medical Center (2006). "NIH grant to support research on new treatment for severe OCD" (press release).
thanks,
mesandy:) .