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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cecilia on September 8, 2006, at 3:44:44
Anyone else see the Primetime show on deep brain stimulation this evening? Their focus was mainly on the ethical issues of doctor's controlling people's moods-like they don't already do that, only with much less success. Though I don't get why the doctor has to be in charge of the remote controller-surely the patient could be taught to control it him/herself. And then they expressed concern about patients using it to get high-give me a break, I think there are cheaper and less risky ways for people to get high then major brain surgery. Cecilia
Posted by linkadge on September 8, 2006, at 6:35:32
In reply to Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by cecilia on September 8, 2006, at 3:44:44
Yeah, I agree. Planting one of those things in your chest and having a wire running up your neck is not the easiest way to get high.
And for goodness sakes, who cares. Why are people so anal about patients feeling better?
Linkadge
Posted by corafree on September 8, 2006, at 7:53:33
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by linkadge on September 8, 2006, at 6:35:32
Didn't see show ... but understand conversation I believe.
Docs very anal about 'pain' medication management.
ACPA (American Chronic Pain Association) ... lobbying in Congress and succeeded at passing new 'whateveryacallit'(initiative, bill, law or something) coming out now will lessen the 'fear of being sued' when docs prescribe narcotics.
My PCP uses a remote on me a lot, pushes the button called 'guilt'. Yeah and it works as I feel it too. I took the remote and pushed the button 'confuse', as asked him .. RU a preacher or a doctor?
Interesting .. wish I'd seen show.
cf
Posted by Bob on September 8, 2006, at 12:51:19
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by linkadge on September 8, 2006, at 6:35:32
> Yeah, I agree. Planting one of those things in your chest and having a wire running up your neck is not the easiest way to get high.
>
> And for goodness sakes, who cares. Why are people so anal about patients feeling better?
>
> LinkadgeI think the fear stems from the inability for the average, unaffected person to comprehend the horrors of mental illness. They're looking at it from the perspective of someone who is seeking something for the mild ennui of an everyday life. Someone who can probably get by without intervention of some sort. I think this attitude is pervasive with substance abuse also. People are very unwilling to accept that an individual might be using alcohol, or drugs to suppress mood disorders. Maybe because there are so many people who experiment with these drugs that don't have mood disorders.
Posted by Phillipa on September 8, 2006, at 15:54:51
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation » linkadge, posted by Bob on September 8, 2006, at 12:51:19
Gee I wish I'd seen the show. They say it makes you high? Love Phillipa
Posted by linkadge on September 9, 2006, at 7:35:35
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation » linkadge, posted by Bob on September 8, 2006, at 12:51:19
ITs not supposed to make you high, but I suppose depending on the location of the implant one could get high.
If the results are anything like what I saw on a show about it a while back, it could be lifechanging. The woman who had it done simply looked like a normal human being.
The device is designed to administer a steady controlled electric stimulation. You'd have to rip the thing out of your chest and have the technichal knowledge to know how to hotwire the device in order to get high.
Linkadge
Posted by Bob on September 10, 2006, at 12:40:21
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by linkadge on September 9, 2006, at 7:35:35
Are we talking about the VNS implant here? If so, I've never heard of anyone getting "high" from that.
Posted by cecilia on September 11, 2006, at 3:14:13
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation » linkadge, posted by Bob on September 10, 2006, at 12:40:21
No, deep brain stimulation is much more invasive surgery than VNS, nowhere near being approved, just being experimented on in a few places. Cecilia
Posted by SLS on September 11, 2006, at 6:33:28
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by cecilia on September 11, 2006, at 3:14:13
> No, deep brain stimulation is much more invasive surgery than VNS, nowhere near being approved, just being experimented on in a few places. Cecilia
DBS actually does not stimulate, but rather interrupts signalling in the subgenual cingulate region. This area is generally overactive in depression. When successful, both antidepressant treatment and ECT result in a decrease in activity here, sometimes even below normative values. People who fail to respond to treatment demonstrate no such changes. Even placebo responders show decreases in subgenual cingulate activity. As activity here increases in the pathological state, activity in the prefrontal cortex decreases in a reciprocal relationship. So, in depression, less is better. DBS therefore disrupts and produces decreased signalling in the subgenual cingulate which in turn results in increased signalling (disinhibition) in frontal cortex. This is the theoretical basis for the antidpressant action of DBS, and a marker for successful treatment using other modalities.
- Scott
Posted by elanor roosevelt on September 12, 2006, at 7:03:45
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation » linkadge, posted by Bob on September 8, 2006, at 12:51:19
this method was written up in the nytimes
it is an end of the road treatment and i wish anyone who tries it luck
ever bottom out on yet another drug and despair completely?
well some people have nothing left to try
why not have a doctor control your moods
we let the media do it every day
Posted by SLS on September 12, 2006, at 11:13:20
In reply to Re: Primetime-Deep Brain Stimulation, posted by elanor roosevelt on September 12, 2006, at 7:03:45
> i wish anyone who tries it luck
Yes.
Me too.
- Scott
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