Contemporary Role of Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatric disorders are the hidden pandemic of the current century. Despite major advances in medical management, the options for treatment are still limited. Neurosurgical intervention is effective for certain refractory psychiatric illnesses and the options range from stimulation surgeries to precise disconnection procedures influencing the neuronal network. Literature regarding stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is now enriched with successful treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression disorder, and anorexia nervosa. These procedures by reducing compulsions, obsessions, depression, and anxiety, improve substantially the quality of life for patients with a good safety profile. It is a valid treatment alternative for a selected group of patients who otherwise have no therapeutic options for whom the neurosurgical intervention is the only hope. It is also cost effective and highly reproducible among specialists. These procedures are adjuvant to the medical and behavioural treatment of psychiatric disorders. In this study the Contemporary role of Stereotactic radiosurgery is reviewed starting with relevant history of psychosurgery followed by individual psychiatric disorders.