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Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa can reflect among the most severe and debilitating forms of mental illness.  In fact, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any form of mental illness and unfortunately for a subset of clients, all current "gold standard" treatments can prove ineffective.  Dr. Blake Woodside, MD, a pioneer in the revolutionary use of deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant eating disorders joins us to discuss: 

• the history and development of DBS 
• how Dr. Woodside  personally became interested in DBS for eating disorders
• a description of the clinical presentation and prognosis of severe anorexia nervosa 
• the brain areas are typically targeted in DBS and possible mechanism of action
• inclusion/exclusion criteria for a client being considered as a candidate for DBS
• informed consent in the context of DBS 
• how the DBS procedure is undertaken (client preparation, client experience during surgery, recovery etc.)
• combining DBS combined with psychotherapy and medication 
• a review of the typical response rate to DBT
• philosophical considerations around DBS with respect to free will, ethics, human performance etc.  
• future developments and technological advances in DBS and associated techniques

Dr. Blake Woodside’s specialty in psychiatry is the treatment of eating disorders in adults, and family therapy of adolescent anorexia nervosa. He is Medical Director Emeritus, Program for Eating Disorders at the Toronto General Hospital, where he led the inpatient service for 25 years, and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Woodside is actively involved in research, presently focusing on novel treatments in eating disorders, including Deep Brain Stimulation, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and Family-Based Therapy. He has also served in various capacities for the Canadian Medical Association, and the Canadian Psychiatric Association.