Deep Brain Stimulation for Depression

This is a new experimental approach that has barely been studied.  I imagine the costs are very high and potential side-effects are significant.  I doubt that this approach will become a significant therapeutic approach, but it may lead to other, more useful therapies.

Early Pilot Research: The subgenual cingulate region (Brodmann area 25) is metabolically overactive in treatment-resistant depression. The application of chronic deep brain stimulation to modulate BA25 this elevated activity in six patients with refractory depression, using chronic stimulation of white matter tracts adjacent to the subgenual cingulate gyrus was associated with a striking and sustained remission of depression in four of six patients. Decrease is depression was associated with a marked reduction in local cerebral blood flow as well as changes in downstream limbic and cortical sites, measured using positron emission tomography. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Mayberg HS, Lozano AM, et al. University of Toronto, Canada. Neuron. 2005 Mar 3;45(5):651-60.