Thomas E. Schlaepfer

Chiara Saviane

To date more than eighty thousand patients worldwide have received deep brain stimulation (DBS), mainly in order to alleviate symptoms of treatment-resistant disorders such as tremor associated with Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, chronic pain, epilepsy, obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression and Tourette syndrome. The number of indications for neurological and psychiatric conditions using this technology is rapidly increasing, raising important societal and ethical issues that cannot be dealt with by scientists and clinicians on their own, but need discussions among all possible stakeholders on questions such as: what are the comprehensive risks and benefits of this technology? what is the real impact on patients’ life, in terms of health, quality of life and personal identity? This Research Topic provides an overview of potentials and limitations of deep brain stimulation as used to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions, bringing together Mini Reviews, Perspectives and Opinion papers from key stakeholders interested in the development and social impact of this technology. It is also a continuation of the debate that started among scientists, clinicians, patients, sociologists, journalists, philosophers and other experts during the “brains in dialogue on deep brain stimulation” workshop that was organized in September 2010 in Warsaw, Poland, by the FP7 project bid – brains in dialogue (www.neuromedia.eu) coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of SISSA (Trieste, Italy).

The development of deep brain stimulation for neurological and psychiatric disorders: clinical, societal and ethical issues

Charles B. Nemeroff

This new volume in the Handbook of Clinical Neurology presents a comprehensive review of the fundamental science and clinical treatment of psychiatric disorders. Advances in neuroscience have allowed for dramatic advances in the understanding of psychiatric disorders and treatment. Brain disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, are the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is estimated that over 25% of the adult population in North America are diagnosed yearly with at least one mental disorder and similar results hold for Europe. Now that neurology and psychiatry agree that all mental disorders are in fact, "brain diseases," this volume provides a foundational introduction to the science defining these disorders and details best practices for psychiatric treatment. Provides a comprehensive review of the scientific foundations of psychiatric disorders and psychiatric treatment Includes detailed results from genetics, molecular biology, brain imaging, and neuropathological, immunological, epidemiological, metabolic, therapeutic and historical aspects of the major psychiatric disorders A "must have" reference and resource for neuroscientists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists as well as all research scientists investigating disorders of the brain

Thomas E. Schlaepfer

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