Deep Brain Stimulation as a Treatment for Obesity

Bariatric surgery is widely recognized as the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity, though it does have limitations with some patients experiencing significant weight regain. Due to the neuroendocrinological effects that impact weight loss and weight, neuromodulation may have a role in the treatment of obesity, particularly in those who have failed bariatric surgery. The lateral hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens are associated with the neural circuitry of obesity and are proposed targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS administers reversible electrical stimulation to specific portions of the brain, making those areas of the brain inactive without ablating them (or destroying them). The scope of obesity impacting the population is large and is having a global impact. Although deep brain stimulation may not be suitable for all patients, there are likely subsets of patients who would greatly benefit from such therapy. Further trials of the use of deep brain stimulation at the lateral hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens targets to treat obesity are needed.