The latest research results on deep brain stimulation (DBS) suggests it is helpful for severe, chronic depression. DBS is a simple surgical procedure that implants electrodes in parts of your brain. Once implanted, they emit tiny electrical pulses that help block the dysfunctional activity in your brain. The key to success in the procedure is for the neurosurgeon to carefully identify the right places to implant the electrodes, because if they end up in the wrong area of the brain, little benefit will be realized from the procedure (although there also appears to be minimal opportunity for harm as well).
Deep brain stimulation is not a new procedure, but its use in the treatment of depression (as well as severe OCD) is. It’s been used successfully for about 20 years in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
New research was presented on Tuesday at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting in Chicago. In the study, 15 people received the DBS electrode implants. These people had been suffering from severe depression for at least five years and had tried other forms of treatment with no success.
Six months later, 7 of the 15 subjects had at least a 50 percent reduction in their depressive symptoms, based on a commonly used depression scale. But even subjects who didn’t enjoy a 50 percent reduction in their symptoms still experienced some symptom reduction. All subjects said they would undergo the DBS procedure again (even if it didn’t significantly help them).
Keep in mind, people with severe depression and who’ve tried other forms of treatment with no success are often at the end of their ropes in terms of hope and finding a treatment that works for them. These are often the “worst of the worst,” and turn to these types of procedures in hope of finding relief from their depression. Even if only half of the patients studied enjoyed significant relief from the treatment, DBS appears to be a better treatment option than many others with far more severe side effects (ECT comes to mind, with its unpredictable memory loss).
I’m all for new treatments of severe depression, especially those that appear to be well-tolerated with few negative side effects. I hope future research into DBS for depression bears out these preliminary kinds of findings.
Read the full article: Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression
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Research Update: Deep Brain Stimulation by medTRIALS.info (5/1/2008)
3 Comments to
“Research Update: Deep Brain Stimulation”
DBS sounds really evasive, although I do see how people with the most sever of cases would easily opt for any way out.
Although sometimes I feel I would do anything to gain that bit of control over my emotions and thoughts I’m not sure I could put myself through it.
In June of 2006 I had the VNS implant. It is an implant, just below the collar bone on the left side, and wires are wrapped around the Vagus Nerve. The implant, when activated, sends small electrical impulses to the brain stem. It has been somewhat successful in treating Treatment Resistant Depression. It may have helped some, but I’m not sure. The device goes on 30 seconds every 5 min.
If i hadn’t gone through this experience, I might be willing to try deep brain stimulation. Now I feel life is too hopeless to waste more money trying other things. I’ve tried over 3 doz. meds in the past 35 years (as well as combinations of meds); ect; EMDR; and many kinds of therapy.
The illness has cost me my marriage; a relationship with my grown children; abandonment by my parents and siblings; and as it has gotten worse, withdrawal from all relationships, except those who care enough to exchange e-mail.
I feel lost. I can’t trust myself, and I don’t see that it’s any longer worth the risk to try to make friends. No one understands the limitations I have. And the energy to push myself is just gone. I don’t know why it seems to get worse with age, but I’m 58 and the last 12 years have been the worst.
While I feel there is nothing left for me but to try to not to commit suicide, and hope my life ends on it’s own, suicide is at least something I can plan for if things get too bad. I have managed to screw up a number of attemtps which worked for others, so I guess that’s one deterent for me. Failure can result in worse things. I guess I was fortunate. Attempts failed without permanent injury.
I wouldn’t wish this any one. I only wish there were people who understood this and could accept me. But I can’t accept me and this dreadful, life-destroying illness, so I’m not sure why others should.
Thanks for a place to vent. I’m just so tired and sometimes terribly lonely.
People with mental illness are often punished for their illness. How ironic. But it’s true; we can be very difficult to be around.
I had thought about the DBS option for my treatment-resistant depression. I weighed the benefits and risks. I knew that I would be turned down due to the fact that I already have a brain injury in the right hemisphere of my brain (not in the frontal lobe, but in the center - still they’ll turn me down).
I had the VNS therapy system implanted in February 2008. I started improving in two months and it was adjusted to 1.5 milliamps that goes off every minute. Over the last year, I have improved a great deal and I am so happy and glad that I have the VNS. I had to fight with my insurance to get coverage on the implant procedure for a year. When I finally got, I was so amazed that I fought so hard to fight my insurance, quit smoking, and survive the worst depression I ever had in 17 years. My depression began when I was 20. I was 36 when I recieved the VNS. I’m so grateful for the VNS therapy. Sure, I still have a way to go, but the relief I have is really astounding. I’ve tried so many medications that either didn’t work or lasted long. I still take an antidepressant. It may not help everyone. I hope it helps you someday, CD Cabin. I have said this before my VNS implantation that if I only get a partial relief, I’ll take it. I was that desperate. It’s definitely not 100%, since I still have fatigue and sleep abnormality. It does wonderfully on my moods, though.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 1 May 2008
