Department of Neurosurgery

Psychiatric Neurosurgery Program

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Psychiatric Neurosurgery Program

Overview

Brown University is a world-leader in the application of surgical techniques for severe, intractable psychiatric disorders such as debilitating and otherwise untreatable obsessive compulsive disorder.  Our team of psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and ethicists carefully consider patients who have failed all other treatments, to assess whether surgery might offer symptom relief and an improved quality of life.

Patients may be referred by their local treating physician or may contact us directly to be considered for treatment.  A comprehensive review of disease history and treatments, as well as detailed psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations are required.  Surgical options include deep brain stimulation and MRI-guided laser ablation, as well as other potential treatments as part of clinical trials.

As a national and international referral center for those seeking advanced treatment options for severe, medically intractable psychiatric disorders, we have experience managing issues related to insurance, and helping navigate travel and lodging options for patients and families. 

Our Team

Neurosurgery

  • Wael Asaad, MD, PhD

    Wael F. Assad, MD, PhD

    Sidney A. Fox and Dorothea Doctors Fox Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, Vice-Chair, Research, Director, Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery Program, Director, Laboratory for Neurophysiology and Neuromodulation, Assistant Director, Neurosurgery Residency Training Program, Director, Fellowship in Functional & Epilepsy Neurosurgery
  • Athar Malik, MD, PhD

    Athar Malik, MD, PhD

    Samuel I. Kennison, M.D. and Bertha S. Kennison Assistant Professor of Clinical Neuroscience, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Director, Brain Injury & Restorative Neurosurgery, Director, Restorative Neuroscience Laboratory

Psychiatric Neurosurgery Committee

Psychiatry

Steven Rasmussen, MD, Chair of Psychiatry,
Benjamin Greenberg, MD, PhD
Mohamed Sherif, MD, PhD

Neuropsychology

Nicole McLaughlin, PhD, Neuropsychologist

Conditions We Treat

Neuropsychiatric Disorders

  • Intractable OCD
  • Intractable Depression (experimental)
  • Intractable Tourette’s Disease (experimental)
  • Alzheimer’s Disease (experimental)

Technology

  • Neurosurgical Robot
  • Custom 3D-Printed Targeting Platforms
  • Deep Brain Stimulation
  • Focused Ultrasound
  • MRI Guided Laser Ablation
  • BrainLab AIRO Mobile CT Scanner with Navigation System