Lifting the Veil of Depression

Experimental Electrical Pulse Therapy Can Shift Moods, Possibly Cure Depression

The take of ABC News (Health Section) on DBS Depression date from the Cleveland Clinic, read it here.

TMS Study Center in Stanford

M. Bret Schneider, MD
Consulting Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
Stanford University School of Medicine
Private Practice Psychiatry
701 Welch Road, Suite 211
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Telephone (650) 906-8371
Fax (650) 851-3544
Email: MBSchneiderMD{@}gmail.com
Web: http://mbschneidermd.googlepages.com/home

Scientists test brain pacemakers for depression

An article on Helen Maybergs work recently communicated at the APA meeting in Washington communicated by the 

Treatment-resistant depression: Explore options when depression won’t go away

A summary on TRD from www.depression-anxiety.org/. 

A Gentler Way to Jump-Start the Brain

Deeply affected: Patients with severe depression may find relief with the help of a wired helmet (above). A magnetic field generated by the helmet harmlessly induces electric currents deep in the brain, giving underactive neurons a much-needed jump start. 

Credit: Brainsway

Scientists in Israel are testing a noninvasive method to electrically stimulate neurons deep in the brain.

An article in Technology Review on Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Severely Depressed

The Washington Post write up of the data presented at the ANS meeting.

Treatment-Resistant Depression Responds to Deep-Brain Stimulation: Presented at AANS

This is an interesting time for Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression! 

Dr. Ali Rezai presented data of DBS to the ventral internal capsule/ventral striatum in 17 patients and reported that 47.1% of patients responded to DBS at 6 months based on MADRS criteria, with an increase of up to 50% of the patients responding at 1 year.

Results of Brodmann Area 25 Deep Brain Stimulation Pilot Study Offer Hope for Patients with Severe Depression

Dr. Helen Mayberg presented further results of DBS to cg25 at the APA Meeting in Washington. She found that 6 months after the procedure, 56 percent of the patients experienced at least a 40 percent decrease in depressive symptoms.

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - Putative Uses

An interesting discussion of possible uses of this new stimulation technique in Alzheimer's disease, depression and schizophrenia. read it here.