How does the deep brain stimulation influence brain structures?

There are several possibilities regarding how deep brain stimulation influences the brain structures it stimulates.

One possibility is that quickly repeating electrical signals the DBS electrode emits may block irregular brain activity.

In that scenario, the electrical stimulation can be likened to a gate blocking pathways of certain corrupted information.

Another possibility is the regular electrical pulses coming from the implanted DBS electrode would override the irregular flows of information. In other words, electrical stimulation coming from the DBS device would drown out abnormal brain activity.

While doctors do not have the complete answers as to why DBS works, they have enough experience with it to feel confident about its effectiveness and safety.