This study’s purpose is to describe the protocol and the preliminary results of the first seven cases of schizophrenia treated with DBS.
From December 2014, seven patients (57 percent women) underwent surgery (in four cases the target was the nucleus accumbens and in three the subgenual area). The most remarkable changes included a progressive improvement in all patients of the social isolation type symptoms and auditory hallucinations. Two patients were dropped off the randomization phase because they presented a noticeable worsening of the symptoms when the generator was switched off. One patient presented complications related to the surgery. The study is currently under analysis and collection of patient outcomes and will be finished in 2017 after one more case is recruited.
Preliminary results support the hypothesis that DBS can be an effective therapy to treat refractory schizophrenia, though it is necessary to complete the ongoing study, do a comprehensive analysis of the data and expand the trials to obtain definitive answers.
Full Story here:
More background info: