Brain Stimulation for Depression | Medical Watch | WGNTV.com | WGN TV

Brain Stimulation for Depression

Wednesday, July 2

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In tonight's Medical Watch -- a new way to fight depression -- by shocking the brain! An implant doctors hope will permanently do away with major depression.

Dr. Konstantin Slavin, associate professor of neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago/neurosurgeon, Alexian Brothers Medical Center: "People with depression suffer tremendously. They are essentially handicapped. And cannot work, cannot maintain families, cannot function in societies."

21 million Americans suffer from depression ... 4 million do not respond to treatment.

Dr. Anthony D'Agostino, Medical Director, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital: "These are patients who suffer from major depression usually long standing, usually very severe."

When medication and therapy didn't help ... doctors searched for another way. They headed deep into the brain to an area called brodmann 25.

Dr. D'Agostino: "By decreasing the activity in brodmann area 25 you increase activity in areas of the cortex and that seems to be associated in a certain number of people with improvement in depression."

Previous studies have shown brodmann 25 is overactive in those with major depression. So neurosurgeons are implanting a device to deliver electrical stimulation ... essentially slowing down the traffic in that area while allowing the cortex to thrive."

Dr. D'Agostino: "And with sustained stimulation in that area, hopefully the absence of depression or feelings of well being are gonna be sustainable over time."

Patients will likely keep the device for life ... but if it doesn't work the procedure is reversible.

This is a double blind study so initially half the patients will not get the actual brain stimulation but after six months all volunteers *will* get the treatment.