title: Memory enhancement induced by hypothalamic/fornix deep brain stimulation.
abstract: Bilateral hypothalamic deep brain stimulation was performed to treat a patient with morbid obesity. We observed, quite unexpectedly, that stimulation evoked detailed autobiographical memories. Associative memory tasks conducted in a double-blinded "on" versus "off" manner demonstrated that stimulation increased recollection but not familiarity-based recognition, indicating a functional engagement of the hippocampus. Electroencephalographic source localization showed that hypothalamic deep brain stimulation drove activity in mesial temporal lobe structures. This shows that hypothalamic stimulation in this patient modulates limbic activity and improves certain memory functions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital and Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamani
authors.forename: Mary Pat
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: McAndrews
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zumsteg
authors.forename: Colin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wennberg
authors.forename: Andres M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lozano
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001069:Appetite Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D003714:Denervation / Q000379:methods; D020712:Fornix, Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000628:therapy*; D020534:Parahippocampal Gyrus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome