20 Best Tweets Of All Time About Depression Treatment Breakthroughs
Depression Treatment Breakthroughs
Scientists are attacking depression from different angles than ever before. These approaches will help you locate the right medications and avoid repeat relapses.
If your depression isn't responding to antidepressants then psychotherapy could be effective. This includes cognitive behavior therapy as well as psychotherapy for interpersonal relationships.
Deep Brain Stimulation
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure in which electrodes are placed inside the brain to target specific areas which cause disorders and conditions like depression. The electrodes connect to a device that emits pulsing electrical pulses to treat the disease. The DBS device, also known as a neurostimulator, can be used to treat other neurological conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. The DBS device's pulsing may "jam up" circuits that trigger abnormal brain activity during depression, leaving other circuits unaffected.
Clinical trials of DBS for depression have revealed significant improvement in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Despite the positive results however, the path to a stable recovery from TRD differs for each patient. Clinicians rely on the subjective reports from patient interviews and psychiatric ratings scales that are 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 detects subtle changes in brain activity patterns and can distinguish them from depressive versus stable recovery states. The study was published by Nature Human Behaviour in Nature, highlights the importance of combining medical and neuroscience disciplines with computer engineering to develop potentially life-changing treatments.
During the DBS procedure, doctors insert a wire-like lead inside the brain through a hole in the skull. The lead has a series of electrodes on its tip that transmit electrical signals to the brain. It then connects to an extension wire that runs from the brain, across the neck and behind the ear, down to the chest. The extension wire and the lead are connected to a stimulator powered by batteries implanted under the skin of the chest.
The neurostimulator that can be programmed generates pulses of electricity to control abnormal brain activity in areas that are targeted by DBS devices. The team utilized DBS in the study to target a region of the brain called the subcallosal cortex (SCC). The researchers found that when SCC was stimulated, it led to an increase in dopamine levels, which may improve symptoms of depression.
Brain Scanners
A doctor may use various methods and tools to diagnose depression, but the best one currently available is a brain scan. This method employs imaging to track changes at the functional and structural levels of brain activity. It can be used by a patient to identify the affected areas of their brain and to determine what's happening in these regions in real-time.
Brain mapping can also assist to determine which treatment will be most efficient for a particular person. Some people respond better antidepressant medications than others. However this isn't always the situation. Psychologists and doctors can prescribe medications more precisely by using MRI to assess the effectiveness. It can also help increase compliance by allowing patients to view how their treatment is progressing.
The difficulty in measuring mental health has hindered research despite its widespread prevalence. While there is an abundance of information on depression anxiety, depression and other issues, a comprehensive understanding of what causes these issues has been elusive. However, the latest technology is beginning to reveal the mechanisms behind these conditions.
A recent study published in Nature Medicine, for example classified depression into six distinct subtypes. This opens the door to personalized treatment.
Researchers used fMRI technology to analyze the brain activity of 801 people with depression, as well as 137 others who were not depressed. Researchers studied the activity of brain circuits that are affected by depression, for instance those that regulate emotions or cognition. They examined a person's brain scan at relaxation and when they completed specific tasks.
A combination of resting-state and task-based measures was able to predict whether an individual would respond to SSRIs. This is the first time that a predictive test in psychiatry has been developed. The team is currently working on an automated tool that will give these results.
This could be particularly useful for people who are not responding to the standard type of treatment such as medication and therapy. About 60% of people with depression do not respond to their initial treatment. Certain patients may be difficult to manage with a standard treatment regimen.
Brain Implants
Sarah was afflicted with a debilitating depression, which she described as a black hole that dragged her down to a gravity force that was so strong, she couldn't move. She tried a range of drugs however none of them gave her an enduring boost. She also tried other treatments, such as ketamine injections and electroconvulsive treatment, but these also failed. Then, she decided to undergo a procedure which would allow researchers to implant electrodes into her brain and send her a targeted shock whenever she was likely to suffer from a depressive attack.
Deep brain stimulation is a procedure that is widely used to treat Parkinson's disease. It has also been shown to be beneficial for patients who are not able to receive treatment. It is not a cure, but helps the brain cope. It makes use of a device to implant small electrodes in specific parts of the mind, like a pacemaker.
In the study published in Nature Medicine on Monday, two researchers at the University of California at San Francisco describe how they used a DBS to tailor the treatment for depression for a specific patient. They described it as a "revolutionary" new approach that could open the way for a more flexible DBS therapies for other patients.
The team studied Sarah's brain's neuronal circuits and discovered that her amygdala is the cause of her depression episodes. They found that the ventral striatum a deep part of her brain is responsible for calming her amygdala overreaction. Then, they implanted an apparatus the size of a matchbox into Sarah's skull and strung its spaghetti-like electrode legs down to the two brain regions.
If a sign of depression is observed, the device signals Sarah's brain to send a small electrical charge to the amygdala, and to the ventral striatum. The jolt is designed to prevent the onset of depression and help her into a more positive mindset. It is not a cure for depression, however, it can make a huge difference for those who need it most. In the future, this will be used to detect biological markers that depression is approaching and give doctors the chance to prepare by increasing the stimulation.
Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine is a method to create a custom-made prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for particular patients, based upon the information gathered through molecular profiling. Medical imaging, lifestyle data etc. This differs from conventional treatments that are geared towards the average patient. It is an all-encompassing approach that could not be efficient or efficient.
Recent studies have revealed a myriad of factors that can cause depression in different patients. These include genetic variations neurocircuitry dysfunctions biomarkers, psychosocial markers and biomarkers among others. Personalized psychiatry seeks to integrate these findings in the clinical decision-making for optimal treatment. It also intends to facilitate the development and implementation of individualized treatment for psychiatric conditions such as depression.
While the field of personalization in psychotherapy is growing, several obstacles still hinder its clinical translation. Many psychiatrists are not acquainted with the pharmacological profiles of antidepressants, which could cause a poor prescribing. In addition the cost and complexity of the integration of multiomics data into healthcare systems as well as ethical considerations need to be considered.
One promising avenue to advance the personalized psychiatry approach is pharmacogenetics. It aims at utilizing a individual's unique genetic makeup to determine the appropriate dose of medication. This could reduce side effects of drugs and increase the effectiveness of treatment, particularly with SSRIs.
However, it is important to point out that this is merely an idea and will require more research before it is widely accepted. Other factors, such as lifestyle choices and environmental influences, are also important to think about. depression counseling of pharmacogenetics into treatment for depression must be carefully considered.
Functional neuroimaging can also be utilized to aid in the choice of antidepressants or psychotherapy. Studies have revealed that the levels of activation in certain neural circuits (e.g. The response to psychotherapeutic or pharmacological treatment is predicted by the pregenual and ventral cortex. Moreover, some clinical trials have already utilized these findings to guide their selection of participants, targeting those with more activation levels and consequently having better responses to therapy.