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Neurosurgical Review
Published in: Neurosurgical Review 1/2012

01-01-2012 | Review

Deep brain stimulation for obesity—from theoretical foundations to designing the first human pilot study

Authors: Nestor D. Tomycz, Donald M. Whiting, Michael Y. Oh

Published in: Neurosurgical Review | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Obesity is perhaps an evolutionary consequence of a species reared with intermittent caloric reward. Humans are hardwired to enjoy food, and our bodies voraciously extract and store energy from food as if each meal was the last. As an amalgam of behavioral and metabolic disturbance, obesity is an attractive target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) since neuromodulation may be able to influence both eating behavior and metabolism. The current pandemic proportions of obesity combined with the failures and morbidity of modern treatments remain the impetus behind the application of DBS to this complex disease. We review the rationale and scientific foundations for obesity DBS and explain how this preclinical evidence has helped sculpt the design of the first human pilot study.
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Metadata
Title
Deep brain stimulation for obesity—from theoretical foundations to designing the first human pilot study
Authors
Nestor D. Tomycz
Donald M. Whiting
Michael Y. Oh
Publication date
01-01-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Neurosurgical Review / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 0344-5607
Electronic ISSN: 1437-2320
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-011-0359-9

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