DBS was first developed in France in 1987 and involves placing thin wires deep in the brain and connecting them to a matchbox-sized “pacemaker” inserted under the skin.
It provides electric pulses which inhibit or stimulate brain circuits that are involved in the regulation of emotion and function wrongly in depression.
The pulses change brain activity in a controlled manner and has been used in the past to treat Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, a neurological movement disorder.
DBS consists of three components: the implanted pulse generator (IPG), the lead, and the extension.
The IPG is a battery-powered neurostimulator which sends electrical pulses to the brain. The lead is a coiled wire with four platinum iridium electrodes and is placed in one of three areas of the brain. The extension connects the lead to the IPG.