Deep brain stimulation is a procedure in which electrodes are implanted into certain areas of the brain. These electrodes send electrical impulses that affect brain activity, cells, and chemicals, which can treat some medical conditions.
A surgeon will place the electrodes through small holes in your skull. They'll also put a pacemaker-like device under the skin in your upper chest, which controls the electrical impulses.
Deep brain stimulation is usually used to treat movement disorders, as well as some psychiatric conditions, in people whose symptoms aren't controlled by medications. These include:
- Parkinson's disease
- Essential tremor
- Epilepsy
- Dystonia and conditions that cause it
- Tourette syndrome
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder