Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, with high failure rates with both medical and surgical treatments. As the complex causes of obesity frequently involve several central nervous system pathways, deep brain stimulation, with its adjustability and safety profile, has emerged as a potential treatment intervention. Several decades of animal studies have demonstrated the lateral hypothalamus and ventromedial hypothalamus to be involved in resting metabolic rate and energy balance, while the nucleus accumbens has demonstrated association with the hedonic aspects of obesity. All three regions have been and are currently being studied as potential deep brain stimulation targets in morbid obesity. Several human case reports and one completed pilot study of deep brain stimulation in patients with morbid obesity have shown promise. Further studies are ongoing or planned, and more information is needed to definitively determine if deep brain stimulation is a viable treatment option for obesity.