The Development of Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders

Abstract

The development of deep brain stimulation has revolutionized care for patients with movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Many areas of science contributed to this technology but one area, the use of animal models, has been cited as vital. We review these claims as well as the history of the discoveries that eventually led to deep brain stimulation in an attempt to ascertain: 1) the contributions of animal models; 2) the contributions from humanbased research and observation; and the role of advances in the engineering, physics, and computer science. We distinguish between advances and discoveries that were, or at least appear to be, dependent on animal models and those where animals were involved but that could have occurred, and/or were occurring simultaneously, with humanbased research. We conclude that animal-based research played a role in defining gross anatomy in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but that essentially all subsequent advances were human-based or secondary to advances in the physical and applied sciences. This has historical, funding, and ethical implications as the development of deep brain stimulation is cited as an example of the importance of animal-based research and a reason for continued social and financial support of animal models in general as opposed to clinical research, other human-based research modalities, and the various disciplines of the physical and applied sciences.