Man experiences bizarre side-effect after deep brain stimulation to treat OCD

A 59-year-old Dutch man, known only as Mr. B, had two electrodes implanted in his brain and underwent deep brain stimulation to treat his obsessive-compulsive disorder. He says he came out a different man.

Half year after surgery, he claimed he was suddenly an avid Johnny Cash fan.

Mr. B was formerly interested in Dutch-language songs as well as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones -- though now he owns all of the icon's music and DVDs and claims there's a Johnny Cash song for every situation.

A study published in Frontier in Behavioral Neuroscience reports the deep brain stimulation, also known as DBS, decreased Mr. B's OCD and other feelings of desperation. He now feels so confident that he calls himself "Mr. B II."

The study reports:

"It could be suggested that the image he creates when listening to songs of Johnny Cash seems to match his 'new' confident self."

Mr. B was given DBS that targeted the nucleus accumbens to treat his symptoms of OCD and depression.

According to the International OCD Foundation, DBS allows doctors to generate a variety of electrical charges, which is beneficial because the patient is able to receive a broader spectrum of treatments.

"What we do is we implant electrodes or wires in the brain"
"We use those wires to deliver a very fine electrical current."

According to researchers, more analysis is necessary to confirm these initial findings.