Remotely Programmed Deep Brain Stimulation of the Bilateral Habenula for Treatment- Resistant Major Depression: An Open Label Pilot Trial

The habenula(Hb) is an epithalamic structure located at the center of the dorsal diencephalic conduction system, a pathway involved in linking forebrain to midbrain regions. An increasing number of studies indicates that that overactivity in the lateral habeluna(LHb) is present during depressed states, where it could drive the changes in midbrain activity linked to depression. Deep brain stimulation(DBS) of the major afferent bundle (i.e., stria medullaris thalami) of the LHb can treat treatment-resistant major depression(TRD). There is no clinical case of directly stimulating habeluna for treatment TRD. This research will investigate effectiveness bilateral DBS to habenula for patients with TRD. Programming is a crucial aspect of DBS which directly influences its therapeutic efficacy. Researchers need to ascertain optimum stimulation parameters to help patients achieve optimal control of clinical symptoms. Remote programming of DBS can markedly improve patient convenience, minimize risk of infection and total treatment time and lead to an overall benefit for doctors and patients alike. This research will also investigate safety and benefit of remote programming of DBS.