New cutting edge research is exploring the use of electrical brain stimulation to treat chronic, unremitting depression. This new treatment is known as deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS utilizes electrodes that emit small pulses of electricity in the brain. Neurologists are hoping that DBS can be used with individuals who are struggling with treatment-resistant major depression.
In DBS therapy, doctors identify target areas that are contributing to the depression by examining the results of MRI scans. They create two incisions on both sides of the brain the size of a nickel and implant electrodes in the same location in each brain hemisphere. The electrodes are attached to a pacemaker that is surgically implanted underneath the collarbone. The electrodes emit 3 or 4 volts of electricity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Doctors can adjust the intensity of the electricity by using a remote control to find a therapeutic setting.
Sixty percent of individuals worldwide that have utilized DBS have noticed a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression. This new treatment is questionning current theories that suggest that brain diseases are a result of chemical imbalances that include a deficiency or an excess of brain chemicals. Experts assert that DBS may work by interrupting circuit activity within the brain altering how brain regions communicate with one another. Side effects may include cognitive decline. Future research will help establish the indications of this treatment and our understanding of the brain and how it influences our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Cutting Edge Treatment for Depression
New cutting edge research is exploring the use of electrical brain stimulation to treat chronic, unremitting depression. This new treatment is known as deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS utilizes electrodes that emit small pulses of electricity in the brain. Neurologists are hoping that DBS can be used with individuals who are struggling with treatment-resistant major depression.
In DBS therapy, doctors identify target areas that are contributing to the depression by examining the results of MRI scans. They create two incisions on both sides of the brain the size of a nickel and implant electrodes in the same location in each brain hemisphere. The electrodes are attached to a pacemaker that is surgically implanted underneath the collarbone. The electrodes emit 3 or 4 volts of electricity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Doctors can adjust the intensity of the electricity by using a remote control to find a therapeutic setting.
Sixty percent of individuals worldwide that have utilized DBS have noticed a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression. This new treatment is questionning current theories that suggest that brain diseases are a result of chemical imbalances that include a deficiency or an excess of brain chemicals. Experts assert that DBS may work by interrupting circuit activity within the brain altering how brain regions communicate with one another. Side effects may include cognitive decline. Future research will help establish the indications of this treatment and our understanding of the brain and how it influences our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
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