Depression helped by electrical stimulation
Associate Professor Ziad Nahas of the Medical University of South Carolina led the study that delivered electrical charges to parts of the brain's cortex - the anterior frontal and lateral prefrontal areas.
"We focused on these two regions because they are part of a larger brain network critical in regulating mood," said Nahas. "Both play complementary roles integrating emotional and cognitive experiences and offer a distinct opportunity for targeted antidepressant treatments."
He said such cortical stimulation has important advantages in the treatment of depression. "It is reversible, non-destructive and potentially safer than other forms of invasive brain stimulation since the stimulating paddles don't come in direct contact with the brain," he said.
The researchers implanted electrical leads in five patients with recurrent depression who were not responding to a variety of other treatments. The leads were connected to generators surgically implanted in each patient's upper chest. The devices delivered periodic electrical charges at intensities below the seizure threshold, and were inactive at night.
After seven months, the five patients had average improvements of 55 percent to 60 percent and three reported their depression had remitted, the researchers said.
The study appears in the early online edition of the journal Biological Psychiatry.
Related News

7 steps to make electricity systems more resilient to climate risks
LONDON - Summer is just half done in the northern hemisphere and yet we are already seeing electricity systems around the world struggling to cope with the severe strain of heatwaves and low rainfall.
These challenges highlight the urgent need for strong and well-planned policies and investments to improve the security of our electricity systems, which supply power to homes, offices, factories, hospitals, schools and other fundamental parts of our economies and societies. This means making our electricity systems more resilient to the effects of global warming – and more efficient and flexible as they incorporate rising levels of solar and…