Study of deep brain stimulation for major depressive disorder commences
St. Jude Medical, a developer of medical technology in the U.S., have recently announced the commencement of a clinical study evaluating the effectiveness and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy in people with major depressive disorder for whom currently available treatments are not effective. The study is called the BROADEN study.
The first two participants in the study, a 59-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man, were implanted with the Libra DBS System at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital in Chicago. The Libra DBS System is an investigational device, developed by St. Jude Medical, which provides mild pulses of current to specific target areas in the brain.
The first study evaluating the effectiveness and safety of DBS for depression was conducted in 2003, the results of which were published in the journal Neuron in 2005. The study found that a particular area of the brain – the Brodmann Area 25 – appears to be overactive in profoundly sad and depressed people. Based on the findings of this study, the BROADEN study is the first to research the use of DBS specifically at the Brodmann Area 25.
"We are excited to be part of the first double-blind study of Deep Brain Stimulation for depression and remain hopeful that this therapy may prove beneficial for this seriously ill patient population," said Anthony D'Agostino, M.D., medical director of Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital and the principal investigator at the study site. "The study is an important contribution to the advancement of treatment options for severely depressed patients."
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