Contact Information
West Virginia University
Department of Neurosurgery
PO Box 9183
Morgantown, WV 26506-9183
304-293-5041
Medical Access & Referral System (MARS):
800-WVA-MARS
800-982-6277
Clinic Appointments:
304-598-4890
West Virginia University Hospitals Neuroscience Program Recognized
Neurosurgery Home | Skilled Neurosurgeons | Treatments | Specialty Care | Outreach & Research
Cranial Base Neurosurgery | Gamma Knife | Pediatric Neurosurgery
WVU neurosurgeons participate in seminars and continuing education events, and see patients at two outreach clinics in Wheeling, although all surgery takes place in Morgantown.
Clinical Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation for Morbid Obesity
WVU recently began a ground-breaking clinical trial to evaluate the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treating individuals who are severely obese. Neurosurgeons Donald Whiting and Michael Oh are using DBS on three patients to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of electrically stimulating the part of the brain where appetite and metabolism are controlled. The procedure is similar to an approved DBS treatment already used for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. The patients chosen for the study had to be previously diagnosed as morbidly obese and to have had unsuccessful gastric bypass surgery.
The operation, performed while the patient is awake and interacting with the medical team, consists of implanting electrodes into the target area of the hypothalamus and recording the electrical activity of the neurons to ascertain the exact location for stimulation. The implanted electrodes are then stimulated by impulses created by two external pulse generators. The patient undergoes a three- to five-day trial period to fine-tune the pulses and to assess any adverse effects that he or she may experience. If no problems arise, the pulse generators are implanted into the chest area. Over the course of the study, the pulse voltage is increased to induce feelings of satiation when the patient eats. Follow-up evaluations are performed weekly for three months, then monthly for nine months, and then every three months until two years have passed.
This study on DBS for controlling obesity has gained national attention and was featured on ABC television's "Nightline."
To read more about the research, view the article on the ABC news web site.