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
