Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in obsessive–compulsives disorders: long-term follow-up of an open, prospective, observational cohort

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a major cause of disability in western country and responsible for severe impairment of quality of life. About 10% of patients present with severe OCD symptoms and require innovative treatment such as deep brain stimulation (DBS). Among possible targets, the non-motor subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a key node of the basal ganglia circuitry, strongly connected to limbic cortical areas known to be involved in OCD. We analysed, in a prospective, observational, monocentric, open label cohort, the effect of chronic non-motor STN-DBS in 19 patients with treatment-resistant OCD consecutively operated in a single centre. Severity of OCD was evaluated using the Yale and Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). YBOCS scores at 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively were compared with baseline. Responders were defined by >35% improvement of YBOCS scores. Global Assessment Functioning (GAF) scale was used to evaluate the impact of improvement.