Home › Research › Disparities
Disparities in Access to Deep Brain Stimulation
Franziska Anna Schmidt, Irene Martínez‐Torres, Jürgen Germann, Mohammad Mehdi Hajiabadi, Oliver Bichsel, Can Sarica, Andrés M. Lozano. Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, 2025-10-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established treatment for several neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, including movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, as well as Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. SUMMARY: In recent years, research has expanded to explore the potential of DBS for other indications, including dementia, addiction, disorders of consciousness (e.g., minimally conscious state), and eating disorders. Over the past 3 decades, significant technological advancements have been made in DBS devices, including improvements in electrode design, stimulation parameters, and battery life. However, despite these technological innovations, equitable access to DBS has not progressed at a similar pace. Barriers to access remain a persistent challenge globally, influenced by socioeconomic, geographic, systemic, and policy-related factors. KEY MESSAGE: This review summarizes the current literature on access to DBS, highlighting disparities, challenges, and potential strategies to improve availability and equity in its application.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Schmidt, F. A., Martínez‐Torres, I., Germann, J., Hajiabadi, M. M., Bichsel, O., Sarica, C., et al. (2025). Disparities in Access to Deep Brain Stimulation. Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. https://doi.org/10.1159/000548814
Vancouver
Schmidt FA, Martínez‐Torres I, Germann J, Hajiabadi MM, Bichsel O, Sarica C, et al. Disparities in Access to Deep Brain Stimulation. Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. 2025. doi:10.1159/000548814. PMID: 41078061.
BibTeX
@article{schmidt2025-41078061,
author = {Schmidt, Franziska Anna and Martínez‐Torres, Irene and Germann, Jürgen and Hajiabadi, Mohammad Mehdi and Bichsel, Oliver and Sarica, Can and Lozano, Andrés M.},
title = {{Disparities in Access to Deep Brain Stimulation}},
journal = {Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1159/000548814},
pmid = {41078061},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000548814}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Over the past 3 decades, significant technological advancements have been made in DBS devices, including improvements in electrode design, stimulation parameters, and battery life.
Why it matters
This review notes that deep brain stimulation is being explored for dementia among other conditions, but equitable access to the treatment has not kept pace with technological advances. Barriers to access remain a persistent global challenge influenced by socioeconomic, geographic, systemic, and policy-related factors.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Disparities →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery: journal h-index 98 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 5 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Andrés M. Lozano: h-index 142 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 9 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41078061) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related studies in Disparities
Also in Disparities
98 studies in the library are filed under Disparities with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Disparities hub.