Deep Brain Stimulation an Effective Treatment for Depression and OCD

Reuters is reporting that deep brain stimulation DBS has been shown to be an effective treatment for both depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in two recent trials. These studies are the largest trials that have been completed using this new technology thus far. DBS involves implanting an electrode inside the brain by doing neurosurgery. The depressed patients in this specific study had very severe depression that was unresponsive to other types of treatments.

"Seventeen patients, diagnosed as having major depressive disorder, were followed for a year and demonstrated overall improvement in mood as well as social and occupational functioning, he said."

"The trial treating OCD included 26 patients who were followed for three years and also showed marked improvement."

Both the depressed and OCD patients improved over the course of treatment with the DBS device. The two clinical trials appear to have had a fairly small number of patients. However, these preliminary results are promising. They confirm the results that researchers have obtained in the past with single patients. A deep brain stimulation device may eventually be used for several disorders of the mind. Researchers just have to run larger trials with more patients before they can get FDA approval.