DBS - Deep
Brain Stimulation (Wiki)
Also referred to as a pacemaker for the brain, DBS seems to act as an antidepressant in mentally ill patients. Indeed, the treatment also seems to block tremors related to Parkinson's disease et al. So far, at the time of writing,
approximately 40,000 patients worldwide have undergone the
procedure. However, despite this, the procedure is still
in it's infancy and requires much more research. Of the
40,000 patients who have undergone the
treatment, only a handful have undergone it to
fight MDD (Major Depressive Disorder)
or OCD (Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder), and
each time the patient was treated under close
surveillance. Happily, preliminary
evidence is promising in the fields
aforementioned.
One patient showed remarkable improvement, saying
"I'm starting to smile" upon activation of the device
and indeed, patients who failed to respond even to
ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy)
exhibited symptoms of
improvement, often very quickly. More than 50% of
patients undergoing DBS in a controlled study
of 26 OCD sufferers showed significant
improvement and 6 of 17 (35%) patients suffering from MDD were in remission a year after
undergoing the procedure; a further 4 were markedly
improved (Cleveland Clinic, Brown University, and
Belgium's University of Leuven). Dr. Helen Mayberg of
Emory University estimated, having performed the
procedure on 50 patients with MDD,
that 66% of patients undergoing DBS could be classified as "responders"
not long after. Sadly, the procedure is dogged by the
threat of nasty side effects.