Webinar on Compulsivity, impulsivity and attention

Electrical high-frequency deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of the internal capsule (IC) is an effective therapy for otherwise treatment-resistant patients suffering from different psychiatric disorders, most notably obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although IC-DBS significantly ameliorates symptoms, optimization of individual stimulation parameters is a process that often requires many months. Moreover, the neural mechanism of action for the therapeutic success of DBS in OCD is largely unknown. To explore the fundamentals of DBS action in the brain and to improve DBS therapy in the long run, we used a mouse model for OCD that captures key elements of OCD. We investigated brain mechanisms underlying IC-DBS by systematically varying different DBS parameters that are typically altered in the clinics to optimize treatment outcome, while simultaneously monitoring compulsive behavior and neuronal activity in OCD-relevant brain regions. We identify several general functional principles of IC-DBS that lay the foundation to a more complete understanding of DBS mechanisms of action.