Local field potentials of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis in patients with major depressive and obsessive compulsive disorder

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is evolving as a promising treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the optimal target area is still under investigation. Modulation of pathological network activity has been suggested as a possible mechanism of DBS. Here, we recorded local field potentials (LFP) from the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) in patients with OCD and MDD. Methods: LFP were recorded from adjacent contacts of the DBS electrodes from five OCD patients and seven MDD patients. Spectral power was analyzed from ˜130 s rest recordings for…