DBS Effects on Motor Control

Use of DBS extends beyond what are typically referred to as “movement disorders,” for which issues of motor control are paramount; currently approved for treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) disorder, DBS is expected to gain approval as a treatment for epilepsy as well. Indeed, no neurological or psychiatric disorder ought to be excluded a priori from consideration as a potential indication for DBS. Post-operative management of DBS for these other disorders will benefit from a better understanding of the mechanisms of action. An understanding of the ways in which the brain responds to DBS (see Chapter 6—Nervous System Responses to DBS) related to motor control may therefore serve as an important metaphor for understanding the use of DBS for other conditions.