Study Highlights Long-Term Benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Depression

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of a region called the subcallosal cingulate appears to be safe and effective at reducing symptoms of depression in patients with treatment-resistant depression over time, according to asmall study inAJP in Advance.Previous studies suggest that up to one-third of all patients with major depression have treatment-resistant depression (that is, they fail to experience symptom improvements during two or more antidepressant trials). “Given that patients with treatment-resistant depression are highly susceptible to recurrent depressive episodes, the ability of DBS or any treatment to support long-term maintenance of antidepressant response and prevention of relapse in severe and intractable depression would be an important tre atment advance,” wrote Andrea Crowell, M.D., of Emory University School of Medicine and colleagues.Crowell and colleagues analyzed long-term follow-up data from an open-label trial of 28 patients aged 27 to 65 who underwent subcallosal cingulate DBS surgery. (The subcallosal cingulate is a small brain region rich in serotonin transporters that is believed to be a key regulator of mood.) Of this group, 20 had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and seven had been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder; one patient in the major depression subgroup was later reclassified as having bipolar II disorder. To be included in the trial, patients were required to have a score ≥20 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ajp in advance Andrea Crowell bipolar disorder DBS deep brain stimulation functioning HAM-D subcallosal cingulate surgery treatment-resistant depression Source Type: research