They look like the makings of quite a headache. But these electrodes,which act much like a heart pacemaker, actually stimulate the brain.
　　 Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS is sometimes administered topeople with Parkinson's disease, depression, epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorders when "other traditional options are not optimal,"says All R. Rezai, the director of Cleveland Clinic's Center forNeurological Restoration.
　　 Rezai and his team have also used DBS to reawaken a brain-damagedpatient from a minimally conscious state. As they reported, surgeonsimplanted two electrodes in the patient's thalamus, an area that controlsarousal, communication and the integration of information. A devicelocated under the skin of the chest sends electricity via the electrodesto the brain. The force and timing of those signals are controlled bydoctors.
　　 Although not yet functioning at 100 percent, the patient is able tospeak, chew, swallow, and demonstrate motions like brushing his teethwhen his DBS device is on. But doctors caution that his case could beunusual: DBS may not help with permanently vegetative patients.