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Low-frequency deep brain stimulation improves speech and swallowing after traumatic brain injury, Pitt study shows

A new University of Pittsburgh study found that low-frequency deep brain stimulation improves control of facial and tongue muscles involved in speaking and swallowing after traumatic brain injury. The treatment showed small but significant improvements in word intelligibility for one participant with TBI.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 21, 2026

Study uses living human brain tissue to map how electric stimulation affects neurons, genetic activity

Researchers used real human brain tissue samples to test the underlying mechanisms of deep brain stimulation. They found that brain cells became more synchronized in communicating, similar to memory formation, while altering gene expression across different types of brain cells.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 5, 2026

Study finds little to no cortical lewy pathology in living Parkinson’s disease patients undergoing deep brain stimulation

Researchers found that patients with Parkinson's disease showing little to no Lewy bodies despite long-standing, clinically advanced disease. The study provides new insight into the relationship between clinical symptoms and neuropathological progression.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·Journalnpj Parkinson s Disease·TypeObservational study·DateJul 1, 2026

Brain stimulation that adapts to Parkinson’s patients’ every step

Researchers created a personalized adaptive DBS system that detects neural signals associated with each step and adjusts stimulation in real time, improving gait symmetry and reducing falls. The study demonstrates the potential for brain stimulation to adapt to behavior itself, opening doors to future therapies.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalNature Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJun 15, 2026

Deep brain stimulation remodels brain wiring and alters functional changes to brain-wide networks, landmark depression study reveals

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can remodel white matter pathways in the brain and alter communication across large-scale neural networks. The therapy helps patients recover from severe depression by increasing fractional anisotropy and myelination within specific pathways, suggesting a previously unrecognized mechanism.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalNature Neuroscience·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 1, 2026

Precision targeting of the centromedian nucleus in drug-resistant epilepsy highlighted in brain network disorders

Researchers developed new methods to accurately target the centromedian nucleus for deep brain stimulation in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Advanced imaging techniques, such as high-resolution MRI and DTI tractography, improve targeting accuracy by identifying specific brain pathways and neural firing patterns.

SourceBrain Network Disorders Editorial Office·JournalBrain Network Disorders·TypeLiterature review·DateSep 16, 2025

Obtaining prefrontal cortex biopsies during deep brain stimulation adds no risk to procedure

Researchers developed a safe method to obtain prefrontal cortex biopsies during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in living patients, demonstrating no increased risk of adverse events or cognitive decline. The study's findings establish the safety of this approach and open up new avenues for neuroscience research.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalNeurosurgery·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 3, 2025

Polarized light imaging enhances accuracy of deep brain stimulation

A new study explores catheter-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) as a tool for improving the precision of electrode placement in deep brain stimulation. PS-OCT provides high-resolution intraoperative visualization of deep brain structures, distinguishing between white and gray matter more clearly than MRI.

UT Health San Antonio neurologists among first to treat patients with deep brain stimulation that adapts to patients’ symptoms

Researchers at UT Health San Antonio are among the first to use adaptive deep brain stimulation technology that adjusts treatment based on a patient's symptoms. This innovative approach offers improved therapy and symptom optimization for patients with Parkinson's disease, dystonia, epilepsy, and essential tremor conditions.

Research spotlight: A generalized epilepsy network derived from brain abnormalities and deep brain stimulation

A team of researchers has identified a common brain network that generalized seizures hijack, which is located in the region where deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes are placed. This finding could help explain why DBS is effective in alleviating generalized seizures and potentially improve treatment outcomes.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalNature Communications·TypeObservational study·DateMar 24, 2025

Mount Sinai is first in the nation to perform deep brain stimulation implant as part of clinical trial for depression

The Mount Sinai Hospital has become the first in the US to perform a deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation procedure as part of a clinical trial investigating its effectiveness for treatment-resistant depression. The study aims to gather evidence on the impact of DBS systems developed by healthcare company Abbott.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 5, 2025

Carnegie Mellon researchers discover new minimally invasive method for deep brain stimulation to treat depression and other neural conditions

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new, minimally invasive method called DeepFocus for treating depression and other neural conditions using transnasal electrical stimulation. This technique offers more accurate and efficient targeting of deep brain structures with lower risk.

SourceCollege of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University·JournalJournal of Neural Engineering·DateMar 5, 2025

NEJM study: For chronic subdural hematomas, blocking the artery supplying the brain covering reduced re-operations threefold

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that blocking the artery supplying the brain covering reduced re-operations for chronic subdural hematomas by threefold. The EMBOLISE trial followed 400 participants and showed a significant reduction in recurrence rates with a simple, minimally invasive procedure.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateNov 20, 2024

Study assesses seizure risk from stimulating thalamus

A new study by researchers at MIT and MGH found that even low stimulation currents could sometimes still cause electrographic seizures in awake mice, with a rate of 2.2 percent of tests experiencing seizures. The study cautions against the use of brain stimulation-based therapies without proper monitoring.

SourcePicower Institute at MIT·JournalBrain Stimulation·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 21, 2024

Our cerebellar nuclei turn out to be more important than initially thought

Researchers discovered that cerebellar nuclei make a surprising contribution to associative learning by strengthening connections with mossy fibers. Optogenetic experiments also showed that the nuclei can support well-timed learning. The study's findings have implications for understanding cerebellum function and potential treatments f...

SourceChampalimaud Centre for the Unknown·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 20, 2023

Decoding depression: Researchers identify crucial biomarker that tracks recovery from treatment-resistant depression

A team of researchers has identified a unique pattern in brain activity that reflects the recovery process in patients with treatment-resistant depression. After six months of deep-brain stimulation therapy, 90% of patients exhibited significant improvement in their symptoms and 70% no longer met the criteria for depression.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and UCLA developed a method of deep-brain stimulation during sleep to improve memory consolidation

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and UCLA developed a method to improve memory consolidation by inducing deep-brain stimulation during sleep. The study found that precise timing of electrical stimulation enhances synchronization between the hippocampus and frontal cortex, leading to improved accuracy in recalling memories.

SourceTel-Aviv University·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateJun 4, 2023

Patients with schizophrenia have favorable surgical risk, opening the door for ethical consideration of neurosurgical interventions like Deep Brain Stimulation

A study published in Frontiers in Surgery finds that patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder have lower postsurgical mortality than those with Parkinson's disease, suggesting DBS as an ethical option for treatment-refractory cases. Comprehensive consideration of factors is done on a case-by-case basis for successful DBS.

SourceUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus·JournalFrontiers in Surgery·DateApr 3, 2023

Progress in unlocking the brain's "code" for depression

Researchers collected electrophysiological recordings from prefrontal cortical regions in three human subjects with severe treatment-resistant depression. They found lower depression severity correlated with decreased low-frequency neural activity and increased high-frequency activity.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 16, 2023

Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: new algorithm for the adjustment of stimulation settings developed

A new algorithm developed by researchers at Charité improves motor symptoms comparable to standard of care treatment, increasing efficiency in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. The study suggests a promising result for imaging-based algorithms to simplify clinical practice and improve therapeutic outcomes.

SourceCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin·JournalThe Lancet Digital Health·DateDec 21, 2022

Researchers map deep brain stimulation target for Alzheimer's disease

A recent study suggests that stimulating the intersection of two particular brain networks correlated with better patient outcomes than stimulating nearby sites for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive improvement was associated with DBS to the direct interface between the fornix and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalNature Communications·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateDec 14, 2022

Deep brain stimulation to brain area linked to reward and motivation is potential therapy for treatment-resistant depression, study finds

A study published in Molecular Psychiatry reveals that deep brain stimulation (DBS) to the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle can alter metabolic brain changes over 12 months, making it a strong potential therapy for treatment-resistant depression. The results showed that 8 out of 10 patients experienced significant sy...

HBP scientists have simulated how the Parkinson’s brain responds to deep stimulation at multiple scales

Researchers used microcircuit models of basal ganglia and thalamus areas to create multiscale models of Parkinson's patient and healthy control brain. They found that in-silico deep brain stimulation could normalize decreased firing rates in subcortical regions, but also caused differential activity in the motor cortex.

SourceHuman Brain Project·JournalExperimental Neurology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 22, 2022