A Stimulating Discovery on Anxiety

The same kind of deep brain stimulation used to treat some Parkinson's disease patients also helped a few people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), French scientists reported.

The study involved only 16 patients, but in four of them, symptoms nearly disappeared. However, many patients had serious side effects, including one case of bleeding in the brain.

The treatment involved an experimental brain pacemaker, and it reduced repetitive thoughts and behavior in some of the patients -- just as it blocks tremors for some Parkinson's sufferers.

The researchers came up with the approach after noticing that two Parkinson's patients who got the treatment also saw an improvement to their obsessive-compulsive disorders. Other small studies have targeted a different part of the brain for that disorder and depression.

In the French said symptoms were reduced more than 25 percent.

The results were "very encouraging", said the study's lead author, Dr. Luc Mallet of Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris. He said for now, the procedure should be used only in medical studies because of the possible side effects.

The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine recently.