Earlier Treatment Studies Demonstrated Improvements in Chronic Depression
A small, phase 1 clinical trial has shown that deep-brain stimulation via implanted electrodes can improve cognitive function in individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injuries years or decades earlier. The current trial’s design included placing electrodes in the brains of five individuals with moderate to severe brain injuries. These electrodes delivered electrical stimulation to an area deep in the brain called the central lateral nucleus for 12 hours daily. After three months of treatment, all participants scored 15 to 55 percent higher on a battery of cognitive tests than before the device was implanted. The authors are now preparing for a phase 2 clinical trial with 25 to 50 participants. Earlier studies of deep-brain stimulation have shown great potential for individuals with mood or neurodevelopmental disorders. Results from a 2021 clinical trial using a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment called Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy showed that 79% of the trial’s participants experienced a remission of their chronic depression. A 2022 study credited deep-brain stimulation for immediately stopping self-injurious behaviors in a nine-year-old girl with autism.
