Deep brain stimulation has been all the rage lately, but not all is not well in Candy Land.

For those who suffer with the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Deep Brain Stimulation offers relief from the tremors and rigidity that can’t be controlled by medicine. A particularly troublesome downside, though, is that these patients often exhibit compulsive behaviors that healthy people, and even those taking medication for Parkinson’s, can easily manage.

DBS implants affect the region of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus (STN), which also modulates decision-making.

“This particular area of the brain is needed for what’s called a ‘hold-your-horses’ signal,” Frank said. “When you’re making a difficult choice, with a conflict between two or more options, an adaptive response for your system to do is to say ‘Hold on for a second. I need to take a little more time to figure out which is the best option.’”