15 Incredible Stats About Depression Treatment Breakthroughs
Depression Treatment Breakthroughs
Researchers are tackling depression from different angles than ever before. These methods are designed to help you find the right drugs and prevent relapses.
Psychotherapy is an option if antidepressants don't work. This includes cognitive behavior therapy as well as psychotherapy with others.
Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an operation where electrodes are implanted inside the brain to target specific brain regions that are responsible for diseases and conditions like depression. The electrodes connect to a device that emits pulsing electric pulses to treat the disease. The DBS device, also known as a neurostimulator is used to treat other neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. The pulses of the DBS device could "jam" circuits that cause abnormal brain activity in depression, while remaining in place other circuits.
Clinical trials of DBS for depression have shown significant improvement in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Despite these positive results TRD recovery is different for each patient. Clinicians have to rely on self-reported subjective information from patient interviews and ratings scales for psychiatric disorders, which can be difficult to interpret.
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, have developed an algorithm that can detect subtle changes in brain activity patterns that can differentiate them from depressive versus stable recovery states. The scientists' research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, exemplifies the importance of combining neuroscience, medical and computer engineering disciplines to create potentially life-changing treatments.
During the DBS procedure, doctors insert a small wire-like lead into the brain through a hole in the skull. The lead is fitted with electrodes that transmit electrical signals to the brain. It is then connected to an extension wire that extends from the brain, up the neck and behind the ear, down to the chest. The lead and extension are connected to an implanted battery-powered stimulator beneath the skin of your chest.
The Neurostimulator can be programmed to produce electrical currents that pulse to control abnormal brain activity within the regions targeted by DBS devices. The team used DBS in the study to target a specific brain region called the subcallosal cortex (SCC). Researchers found that stimulation of the SCC caused a rise in dopamine, which could aid in the treatment of depression.
Brain Scanners
A doctor may employ a variety of methods and tools to diagnose depression, but the best one currently available is a brain scan. This method utilizes imaging to observe changes at structural and function levels of brain activity. It can be utilized by a patient to determine the affected regions of their brain, and then determine what's happening in these regions in real-time.
Brain mapping can help determine the kind of treatment that will be most effective for a particular individual. Some people respond better to antidepressant medication s than others. However this isn't always the case. Utilizing MRI to evaluate the effectiveness of a medication, psychologists and physicians can be more precise in prescribing it to their patients. It also helps increase compliance by allowing patients to observe how their treatment progresses.
The difficulty of measuring mental health has hampered research despite its wide-spread prevalence. While there is a plethora of information on depression, anxiety and other issues, a comprehensive understanding of what causes these disorders has been difficult. However, advances in technology are beginning to reveal the mechanisms that cause these disorders.
For example, a recent study published in Nature Medicine sorts depression into six distinct biological subtypes. This paves the way toward customized treatment.
Researchers employed fMRI technology to examine the brain activity of 801 individuals with depression, as well as 137 people who are not. They looked at the activation and connectivity of brain circuits affected by depression, such as those that regulate emotions and cognition. They examined the brain scan of a subject at rest and during specific tasks.
The results were that a combination of resting state and task-based tests could determine if a person would respond to SSRIs. This is the first time a predictive test has been created in the field of psychiatry. The team is currently working on the development of an automated test that will give these predictive results.
This is especially useful for those who do not respond to conventional therapies like therapy or medication. As high as 60% of people with depression don't respond to their initial treatment. Some of these patients could be difficult to manage using the standard treatment regimen.
Brain Implants
Sarah was suffering from a debilitating type of depression that was debilitating. She described it as a dark hole that dragged her down. It was so strong that she could not move. She tried a variety of drugs, but none provided an enduring boost. She also tried other treatments like electroconvulsive therapy and ketamine infusions however, they did not work. She agreed to undergo surgery to implant electrodes in her brain, which would give her a targeted shock whenever she was about have a depressive attack.
Deep brain stimulation is a method that is widely used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. It has also been shown to be helpful for some people who are unable to respond to treatment. But it isn't a cure; it simply aids the brain in dealing with the condition. It uses a device to implant small electrodes into specific parts of the mind like a pacemaker.
In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, two researchers at University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) explain how they used the DBS device for the first time to tailor the treatment for depression for patients. They called it a new "revolutionary" approach that could allow custom DBS treatments to be offered to other patients.
For Sarah, the team mapped the circuits in her brain and discovered that her amygdala is the source of depression episodes. They found that a spot deep within her brain -- the ventral striatum -- was responsible for soothing the amygdala's overreaction. They then implanted the matchbox-sized device in Sarah's head and strung its electrode legs shaped like spaghetti to the two areas.
When a depression symptom occurs, the device sends a small electrical charge to Sarah's amygdala, as well as ventral striatum. This shock is intended to stop depression and motivate her to be more positive. It's not a cure for depression however it makes a significant difference for those who need it most. In the future it could be used to detect a biological marker that a depression is coming and allows doctors to prepare by boosting the stimulation.
Personalized Medicine
The concept of personalized medicine refers to adapting diagnosis, prevention and treatment strategies to specific patients based upon information that is gathered through molecular profiling medical imaging, lifestyle data and so on. This differs from conventional treatments, which are designed to fit an average patient.
Recent research has revealed several factors that can cause depression in a variety of patients. These include genetic variation neurocircuitry dysfunctions, biomarkers and psychosocial markers among others. Personalized psychiatry seeks to integrate these findings into clinical decision-making process for the best treatment. It is also intended to help develop specific treatment methods for psychiatric disorders like depression, with the aim of achieving better use of resources and improving patient outcomes.
While the field of personalized psychotherapy is advancing, a number of obstacles remain in the way of its clinical implementation. Many psychiatrists aren't familiar with the pharmacological characteristics of antidepressants. This can result in a suboptimal prescription. In addition the cost and complexity of the integration of multiomics data into healthcare systems and ethical considerations have to be considered.
Pharmacogenetics is a promising way to advance the field of personalized psychotherapy. It makes use of the genetic makeup of a patient order to determine the proper dose of medication. This can help reduce the side effects of medications and improve the effectiveness of treatment, especially with SSRIs.
However, it is important to point out that this is only an option and requires more research before being adopted. Other factors, such as lifestyle choices and environmental influences are also important to think about. The integration of pharmacogenetics and lifestyle choices in depression treatment should therefore be carefully considered.
Functional neuroimaging may also be used to aid in the choice of antidepressants or psychotherapy. Studies have demonstrated that the intensity of the activation process in certain neural circuits (e.g. ventral and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex) predict the response to psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments. Furthermore, some clinical trials have already utilized these findings to guide their selection of participants, focusing on those who have more activation levels and consequently having more favorable responses to therapy.