Sustained improvement of obsessive-compulsive symptoms following interruption of deep brain stimulation

A 59-year-old male with severe treatment-resistant OCD achieved sustained symptom improvement after discontinuing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for over four years. Despite partial relief with ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS) DBS, complications led to device removal in 2018. Remarkably, the patient remained largely symptom-free, suggesting neuroplasticity changes in dysfunctional neurocircuits. This rare case highlights DBS's role in psychiatry, emphasizing the need for tailored surgical strategies and long-term follow-ups to optimize outcomes and understand DBS mechanisms.