Deep Brain Stimulation, OCD and Diabetes

As many of us are aware, a good number of scientific findings, such as the discovery of penicillin, have been made by accident. Well here’s another one to add to the list. A May 23, 2018 article published in the journal Science Translational Medicine reports a surprising side effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is sometimes used in the hardest to treat cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was observed that an obese man with type 2 diabetes underwent DBS for OCD, and his blood sugar levels improved to the extent that his daily insulin requirements decreased by approximately 80 percent. Diabetes occurs when the level of glucose in a person’s bloodstream is chronically high. Type 1, which typically begins in childhood, results when the immune system destroys the pancreatic cells that make insulin, the hormone that lets our cells use sugar as food. Type 2 diabetes, however, is typically triggered by a combination of genetics, less-than-optimal eating habits, and a lack of exercise. Type 2 diabetes also affects the body’s ability to produce its own insulin. As time goes on, cells are hard-pressed to remove sugar from the blood, and people require larger and larger amounts of insulin to keep their blood sugar stable. Currently there is no cure for either type of diabetes. Back to the study. To research further, scientists recruited 14 people who had OCD and had undergone DBS. These study participants did not have type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that t...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Brain and Behavior Health-related OCD Research anxiety Deep Brain Stimulation Diabetes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Source Type: blogs