Deep brain stimulation in animals: effect on motivation and its relevance for apathy in Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is an effective treatment for the motor symptoms of movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Despite its therapeutic benefits, STN-DBS has been associated with adverse effects on mood and cognition. In particular, apathy—defined as a loss of motivation—has been reported to emerge or worsen following STN-DBS. However, it is often challenging to disentangle the effects of STN-DBS per se from those of concurrent reductions in dopamine replacement therapy, underlying PD pathology, or disease progression.

To address this issue, preclinical models allow the dissociation of these factors and help identify the neural substrates underlying the emergence of motivational symptoms following STN-DBS. In this short talk, I will highlight recent translational work from our laboratory, along with a brief update on the most recent literature, revisiting the link between apathy and STN-DBS and confirming the complex effects of STN-DBS on motivation.

As STN-DBS is increasingly applied to psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction, it is critical to fully understand the neuropsychiatric effects of this surgical treatment.