Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)—Current Status and Future Directions

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurodegenerative Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 667

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Interests: movement disorder; Parkinson’s disease; neuromodulation; deep brain stimulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a groundbreaking neuromodulation therapy, employing implanted electrodes to deliver targeted electrical impulses to the brain and offering clinical improvements in disease-related symptoms of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. For this Special Issue, we invite high-quality contributions on the latest technological and clinical advances in DBS, including adaptive closed-loop systems that optimize stimulation parameters in real time via neural biomarkers, innovations in directional leads and multi-contact electrode arrays to refine targeting precision and minimize side effects, and explorations of novel indications, such as for depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. We also encourage research on biocompatible materials for long-term stability, artificial intelligence-driven personalization algorithms, and minimally invasive delivery methods, such as MRI-guided electrode placement. All article types—original studies, brief communications, opinion pieces, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses—are welcome. Join us in expanding and refining the therapeutic scope of DBS.

Dr. Yousef Salimpour
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • deep brain stimulation
  • neuromodulation
  • adaptive closed-loop systems
  • directional leads
  • neural biomarkers artificial intelligence
  • personalization treatment
  • biocompatible materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1614 KB  
Article
Electrocorticography During Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Movement Disorders: Single-Center Experience
by Helena Ljulj, Kurt Lehner, Kimberley Wyse-Sookoo, Toren Arginteanu, Kelly A. Mills, Yousef Salimpour and William S. Anderson
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(6), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16060561 - 26 May 2026
Abstract
Objective: Electrocorticography can serve as an intraoperative research tool during deep brain stimulation procedure, when patients are awake to participate in behavioral tasks or to allow recordings while awake but at rest. This report aims to describe the electrocorticography methods used in awake [...] Read more.
Objective: Electrocorticography can serve as an intraoperative research tool during deep brain stimulation procedure, when patients are awake to participate in behavioral tasks or to allow recordings while awake but at rest. This report aims to describe the electrocorticography methods used in awake patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery at a single center and to describe the feasibility, safety, and usefulness of high-density electrocorticography for capturing high-resolution neurophysiological data during deep brain stimulation surgery. We hypothesize that the use of high-density electrocorticography and multi-subject integration of cortical data enables improved spatial resolution and data analysis compared to prior studies employing lower-density electrodes and primarily single-subject analyses. Methods: Data were obtained from patients undergoing awake deep brain stimulation surgery for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor at Johns Hopkins Hospital between March 2022 and September 2024. Electrophysiological and anatomical data were analyzed, with localization in the anterior commissure and posterior commissure and Montreal Neurological Institute coordinate systems. Surgical complications were monitored for at least six months postoperatively. Results: Thirty-six patients (26 with Parkinson’s disease, 10 with essential tremor) were enrolled in the study. In one case, anatomical placement was inadequate for neurophysiological analysis. Postoperative complications included three infections (8.3%) and one chronic subdural hematoma (2.8%), with no permanent neurological deficits. Observed complication rates were within the range reported in the literature for standard deep brain stimulation surgeries without electrocorticography. Anatomical and neurophysiological analysis demonstrated high-resolution cortical mapping. Multiple-subject level analysis using high-density electrocorticography yielded over 1300 electrode positions. Conclusions: Electrocorticography during deep brain stimulation is a valuable research method for movement disorders and, based on a moderate sized consecutive clinic sample, appears safe with risks no greater than those associated with DBS surgery itself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)—Current Status and Future Directions)
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