Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, has changed the lives of thousands of people with movement disorders. It can do far more than medication to reduce your symptoms, often with few or no side effects.

OHSU is a world leader in DBS. Our team at the OHSU Brain Institute performed the first DBS procedure for Parkinson’s disease in the U.S., in 1991. Dr. Kim Burchiel, an internationally known neurosurgeon, pioneered asleep DBS in 2011.

Our program offers:

• A multidisciplinary team of experts working together to give you the best care possible.
• A team with more than three decades of experience and unmatched expertise in DBS, with excellent outcomes.
• The first team to do asleep DBS, with patients spared from staying awake during surgery. This is a faster, safer and more accurate procedure that most patients prefer.
• A focus on leading-edge research to improve DBS for patients.
• A wide range of support services to help you learn if DBS is right for you and prepare for surgery.

What is DBS?

DBS stands for deep brain stimulation. It can help people with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor.

• DBS works by placing small electrodes in the brain that regulate abnormal signals that cause tremors.
• DBS can greatly improve quality of life for many patients, sometimes nearly eliminating movement symptoms.

Learn more

• Understanding DBS
• DBS for Parkinson’s
• DBS for essential tremor
• What to expect after DBS surgery
• DBS FAQ and resources
• Patient stories
• Meet our team
• For referring providers

Our excellence

OHSU has been an international leader in DBS for more than three decades.

• Our team has deep expertise in making sure only the right patients get DBS. We have specialists in neurology, physical therapy, neuropsychology and other fields to give you the best care possible. 
• Dr. Kim Burchiel, who performed the first DBS for Parkinson’s in the U.S., has performed more than 2,000 DBS procedures.
• Dr. Burchiel pioneered asleep DBS, freeing patients from the anxiety of being awake. Studies have shown that asleep DBS is faster, safer and more accurate than traditional DBS surgery. OHSU now performs only asleep DBS.
• Our DBS outcomes are excellent. Patients enjoy a far better quality of life after surgery.