Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression

We propose a clinical study of medial forebrain bundle DBS as a treatment in 20 patients with treatment refractory depression (TRD). Data from the University of Bonn indicates that surgical lesions of the medical forebrain bundle can produce therapeutic benefits in patients with depressive disorders, and suggest that DBS at the same site may also reduce symptomatology in these TRD patients (Schaepfer, 2013). Depression affects up to 10% of the US population and of those at least 10-15% do not benefit from therapies hence why we must explore new treatments. The Percept™ PC system manufactured by Medtronic Neurological will be used in this study. Study subjects will be between the ages of 22 and 70 years of age and suffer from TRD, have failed multiple treatment regimens, including ECT, and remain symptomatic. Those identified as TRD patients will then be enrolled in a clinical pilot study investigating DBS, targeting the MFB.