Positive outcomes and causal insufficiency do not rule out the risk (and importance) of DBS-related identity changes

Gilbert and colleagues (2017) conducted an important qualitative study aimed at exploring the phenomenal field of experiences in deep brain stimulation (DBS) implanted patients. In particular, the study delves into the concept of self-estrangement and the qualitative experiences that are connected to it. The collected evidence indicates that the changes to the self, where present, seem to be (a) connected to the extent patients preoperatively felt alienated by their illness and (b) associated primarily with loss of control (deteriorative) and distorted perception of capacities (restorative). We applaud the author's efforts, and find their patients' accounts both fascinating and illuminating. We believe, with the authors, that debates about the implications of DBS for various aspects of a person’s identity or phenomenological self-experience require more than anecdotal evidence