Sustained improvement of obsessive-compulsive symptoms following interruption of deep brain stimulation

Israel Aristides de Carvalho Filho; Marcelo Queiroz Hoexter; Fabio L F Godinho; Ricardo F Iglesio; Igor Studart; Isabelle C Alencar; Katia G Benigno; Antonio Carlos Lopes

doi:10.1080/13554794.2024.2441942

Sustained improvement of obsessive-compulsive symptoms following interruption of deep brain stimulation

Neurocase. 2024 Dec 16:1-4. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2024.2441942. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Israel Aristides de Carvalho Filho¹, Marcelo Queiroz Hoexter¹, Fabio L F Godinho², Ricardo F Iglesio², Igor Studart¹, Isabelle C Alencar¹, Katia G Benigno¹, Antonio Carlos Lopes¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Department of Neurosurgery, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

PMID: 39679574
DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2024.2441942

Abstract

A 59-year-old male with severe treatment-resistant OCD achieved sustained symptom improvement after discontinuing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for over four years. Despite partial relief with ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) DBS, complications led to device removal in 2018. Remarkably, the patient remained largely symptom-free, suggesting neuroplasticity changes in dysfunctional neurocircuits. This rare case highlights DBS's role in psychiatry, emphasizing the need for tailored surgical strategies and long-term follow-ups to optimize outcomes and understand DBS mechanisms.

Keywords: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); deep brain stimulation (DBS); neuroplasticity; treatment-resistant; ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS).