Introduction: Limited treatments for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) highlight the need to explore innovations including Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), with patient perspectives key to ethical protocol development.
Methods: Seven MCI patients and four care partners were interviewed (Feb 2023-Jan 2024) about daily MCI challenges, desired treatment outcomes, and views on DBS. Thematic analysis following COREQ guidelines identified key themes.
Results: DBS was a novel concept for all (7/7), and most expressed interest (6/7) despite concerns about invasiveness (6/7) and preference to exhaust medications first (4/7). Care partners (4/4) shared concerns about invasiveness and emphasized proven efficacy. Key deciding factors included the involved procedural risk (6/7), desired significant outcomes (6/7), and prior testing for MCI (7/7). Most participants (6/7) were hesitant to be the first to try DBS, while one was willing.
Conclusion: Patient and care partner insights on DBS for MCI are crucial for balancing innovation with ethical, patient-centered research.
Keywords: Cognition; deep brain stimulation; interview; mild cognitive impairment; neuroethics; neuromodulation.