Uncovering the Mechanism(s) of Deep Brain Stimulation
深部脑刺激作用机制的探讨

Deep brain stimulators, often called “pacemaker for the brain”, are implantable devices which continuously deliver impulse stimulation to specific targeted nucleus of deep brain structure, namely deep brain stimulation (DBS). To date, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most effective clinical technique for the treatment of several medically refractory movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia). In addition, new clinical applications of DBS for other neurologic and psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder) have been vaulted forward. Although DBS has been effective in the treatment of movement disorders and is rapidly being explored for the treatment of other neurologic disorders, the scientific understanding of its mechanisms of action remains unclear and continues to be debated in the scientific community. General, there exist two philosophies on the effects of DBS: (1) DBS generates a functional ablation by suppressing or inhibiting the structure being stimulated; or (2) DBS results in activation patterns in the stimulated network that override pathological network activity. Based on present data and comment on the effects of high-frequency stimulation within the central nervous system, the hypothesis that two effects are coexist and work together is proposed, that is to say, as same time as stimulation-induced disruption of pathologic network activity, a high-frequency tonic rhythm is also introduced to rest network.