People who suffer from depression and bipolar disorder and have not respond to drugs and therapy may finally be able to obtain some relief from their symptoms thanks to a brain pacemaker.

Scientists say the new medical device is implanted under the skull and sends electrical impulses deep into the brain.

Dr. Helen Mayberg from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, lead a group of scientists for the study and discovered that 41% responded to the treatment and 20%  went into remission after just six months.

The trial consisted of patients with bipolar disorder along with those with severe depression. It continued an earlier study conducted by Dr. Mayberg, the first to demonstrate that deep brain stimulation can help individuals with major depressive disorder.

In the most recent trial, participants received single-blind stimulation for four weeks (patients did not know if the DBS system was on or off), followed by active stimulation for 24 weeks.  Individuals were evaluated for up to two years following onset of active stimulation. A total of 17 patients were enrolled in the study.

The scientists found 41% responded to the treatment.  Eighteen percent were able to reach remission in the first 24 weeks.  These rates improved greatly as stimulation continued.

After two years of active stimulation 92% responded in some way to the treatment; 58% were in remission.

Individuals who achieved remission in the study did not experience an impulsive relapse. Rates were similar between depressed and bi-polar patients – neither had a manic episode during treatment.

Deep brain stimulation has already been shown to help patients with chronic pain and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Mayberg says she and her colleagues are still refining this intervention. She says  she wants to learn how this treatment works and why.

The study was published online by Archives of General Psychiatry.
By: South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer Pete Strom

In 2012, the oldest baby boomers will turn 66, a very important age for Social Security eligibility. At 66, boomers can claim the full amount of Social Security they have earned, and the penalty for working and claiming Social Security benefits at the same time goes away. Here are some retirement preparation tips for those turning 66 next year.

Social Security eligibility.

People born in 1946 will hit what the Social Security Administration considers the full retirement age, at which time they are eligible to claim the full amount of Social Security they are entitled to. Boomers who claimed their Social Security early are receiving a reduced payout.

Wait and get more.

You can increase your monthly Social Security payments by even more if you wait to claim your benefits until the age of 70. If you are healthy, it makes sense that you wait until later to claim your benefits. You will receive more money per month and the money will continue at a higher rate for the rest of your life.

Claim twice.

Those who are married, or those who were married for at least 10 years, are eligible for Social Security payments based on their employment record or payments equal to up to 50 percent of the higher earner’s benefit. Baby boomers who are of full retirement age can even claim both of these types of payments at separate times. A 66-year-old retiree may sign up to get spousal payments and delay receiving his or her own retirement benefit. A retired worker who uses this approach between the ages of 66 and 70 will get higher monthly payments after age 70 due to waiting to claim plus four years of spousal payments.

Work without penalty.

If you work and claim Social Security payments at the same time before you reach age 66, part or all of your Social Security benefits will be withheld temporarily. Social Security recipients under age 66 who earn more than $14,640 in 2012 will have 50 cents of each dollar above that limit subtracted from their Social Security payments. The year you turn 66, the earnings limit changes to $38,880 and the amount withheld is reduced to 33 cents for each dollar earned.  The earnings limit disappears once you turn age 66.

Remember Medicare.

Individuals born in 1946 should have signed up for Medicare in 2011. Retirees can sign up for Medicare starting three months prior to the month they turn 65. It’s imperative to sign up for Medicare as soon as you are eligible because premiums could rise by 10 percent for each 12-month period that you wait to enroll. People who are still working and are covered by a group health insurance plan through their job must sign up within eight months of leaving the job to evade the penalty.