It can be a disabling condition, causing extreme recurring thoughts and urges.
People diagnosed with the disorder battlefear,anxiety,doubt, and even disgust at dealing with their symptoms.
OCD is a very severe disorder for some patients, and some patients do not respond to available treatments.
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Here’s what it’s crucial that you know before considering deep brain stimulation for treating OCD.
In addition tointrusive thoughtsand anxious feelings, people with OCD can struggle withobsessive thoughtsor compulsive, repetitive behaviors.
Bothcognitive behavioral therapyand medication are commonly recognized ways to treat OCD.
Interventions such as DBS increase the options that are available for this difficult illness.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), typically used as antidepressants, can help control OCD symptoms.
When those treatments dont work, however, another option is available.
it’s possible for you to explain it like a pacemaker for the brain.
A cardiac pacemaker alters the activity of the heart.
The DBS does the same thing but for the brain, Langevin explains.
Jean-Philippe Langevin, MD
Its a big choice to undergo this surgery.
Its not something that you want to take lightly.
But in the realm of what we do in neurosurgery, its one of the lower-risk surgeries.
Studies on the procedure for OCD have had varying results.
Almost 30% of those participants said their OCD worsened.
The study samplings were small, and more research is needed.
However, there is a lot for patients to consider.
Its a big choice to undergo this surgery.
Its not something that you want to take lightly.
With any medical procedure, there are pros and cons.
For some patients, its a risk they are willing to take to have a better quality of life.
For some people its been transformative.
Their ability to function day-to-day feels effectively stripped away.
Deep brain stimulation may be the answer theyve been seeking.
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University Hospitals.What Is Deep Brain Stimulation?
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