The mechanisms of
appetite disorders, such as refractory
obesity and
anorexia nervosa, have been vigorously studied over the last century, and these studies have shown that the central nervous system has significant involvement with, and responsibility for, the pathology associated with these diseases. Because
deep brain stimulation has been shown to be a safe, efficacious, and adjustable treatment modality for a variety of other
neurological disorders, it has also been studied as a possible treatment for
appetite disorders. In studies of refractory
obesity in animal models, the ventromedial hypothalamus, the lateral hypothalamus, and the nucleus accumbens have all demonstrated elements of success as
deep brain stimulation targets. Multiple targets for
deep brain stimulation have been proposed for
anorexia nervosa, with research predominantly focusing on the subcallosal cingulate, the nucleus accumbens, and the stria terminalis and medial forebrain bundle. Human
deep brain stimulation studies that focus specifically on refractory
obesity and
anorexia nervosa have been performed but with limited numbers of patients. In these studies, the target for refractory
obesity has been the lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens, and the target for
anorexia nervosa has been the subcallosal cingulate. These studies have shown promising findings, but further research is needed to elucidate the long-term efficacy of
deep brain stimulation for the treatment of
appetite disorders.