Deep Brain Stimulation beyond the Clinic: Navigating the Future of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure that uses electrical neuromodulation to target specific regions of the brain, showing potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite similarities in disease pathology, DBS is currently only approved for use in PD patients, with limited literature on its effectiveness in AD. While DBS has shown promise in ameliorating brain circuits in PD, further research is needed to determine the optimal parameters for DBS and address any potential side effects. This review emphasizes the need for foundational and clinical research on DBS in different brain regions to treat AD and recommends the development of a classification system for adverse effects. Furthermore, this review suggests the use of either a low-frequency system (LFS) or high-frequency system (HFS) depending on the specific symptoms of the patient for both PD and AD.