Deep Brain Stimulation as Depression Treatment

Neopallium writes "Medtronic, today announced its intentions to pursue a major clinical trial of the company's deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology in the treatment of severe and intractable depression, a disabling form of the psychiatric disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. "While not a cure, DBS has allowed these patients to return to much more functional and happy lives," said Dr. Rezai, who represented an international working group of physicians that has been studying the application of DBS therapy in the treatment of intractable depression and OCD in collaboration with Medtronic."

Comments

ECT 2.0

[altan]

Because there was no actual description of DBS in the article, I looked it up: Deep brain stimulation involves putting the tip of a hair-thin wire down inside the brain in a special area that controls movement. The wire then runs up through a small hole in the skull and under the scalp down to a little device implanted under the collarbone. The device, called a neurostimulator, sends tiny electrical impulses down the wire into the brain. The person can turn the DBS on when needed, and turn it off during sleep (when tremors are less).

This sounds an awful lot like electroconvulsive therapy which doesn't seem to be taken that seriously anymore.

Re:ECT 2.0

[MichaelSmith]

This sounds an awful lot like electroconvulsive therapy

It sounds a lot like The Terminal Man to me