A Brain Pacemaker for Depression

Ranger writes "Scientists claim to have developed a pacemaker 'cure' for depression. It may also have applications to controlling tremor's in Parkison' sufferers. This sounds vaguely like Ren & Stimpy's Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy helmet from Stimpy's Invention."

Comments

Terminal Man

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Anybody?

That's the first thing that popped into my head.

World

[Mark_MF-WN]

Didn't it ever occurr to anyone to just make the world less shitty? That would clear up most depression quite nicely.

Seriously though -- I've seen people with medication-resistant major depressive disorder, and it sucks real bad. Anything that can help these people is worth looking into.

This article is PR. TMS has more of a future.

[Red Moose]

Vagal Nerve Stimulation is OK but as it's invasive I would see it as not being as "good" as alternatives. The reason is it being publicised is because the technology already exists, the theory is decades old and it's a "chargeable" procedure. But it is invasive and as such carries more risks than ECT. It will make certain corporations a lot of money and undoubedtly will lead to a reversal to the macroscopic analogies of psychiatric illness of 50 years ago. It's crude, put it that way.

Possibly a better track is the TMS - Transcranial Magnetic Ultrasound. This is non-invasive and uses magnetic and electrical principles to achieve the neurogenesis seen in ECT which is the best treatment for certain types of depression. It's cheaper and quicker and has none of the risks of ECT which are primarily those associated with a general anaesthesia.

So VNS will lead down a path of the cingulotomies of the past with a GA to implant and complications of that. GA causes enough of the ECT problems like memory loss and disorientation. It will however make procedural money and insurance companies love procedures. Vagal Nerve Stimulation is more invasive and drastic than ECT. The article quotes one of them saying the opposite.

TMS is non-invasive, carries none of the related side-effects of General Anaesthetic (used in ECT and Vagal Nerve Stimulation). It is misleading in this article to suppose that ECT is more "drastic". VNS = corporate money + risk of neurosurgery. TMS = better results for patient with less side effects.

Surgical intervention such as anterior cingulotomy have only been found succesful in very rare cases.

Side Effects?

[lhaeh]

I've been on two antidepressant medications. They both made me an emotionless zombie.

What else will this do, other then 'cure' depression?

Too many people are depressed

[SunFan]

While there are certainly people who are clearly depressed, most people I know who are on anti-depressants are perfectly normal. They mistake the occasional lack of motivation or bad day for depression, and it seems doctors love to write prescriptions for antidepressants with little or no questioning if they are needed (kickbacks?). My frame of comparison for "normal" is a person I know who is truly bipolar (it's unmistakable, and medication is necessary).

Re:Too many people are depressed

[curunir]

I completely agree that doctors are too quick to prescribe SSRIs. Quite often for milder cases of depression (like mine), a diet and exercise routine can work without all the risks/side effects of SSRIs. I now take 5-HTP (available at any drug store) and eat a more balanced diet and never really feel all that down anymore. Also, taking 5-HTP regularly has pretty much killed the sugar cravings I used to get all the time, so I've dropped a few pounds.

I have no doubt that for serious cases, SSRIs can be very effective, but they should be a last resort after milder treatments have failed.