Why We Enjoy Depression Treatment Breakthroughs (And You Should Also!)

Depression Treatment Breakthroughs

With the introduction of a new generation breakthroughs in depression treatment, scientists are tackling this issue from more angles than ever before. These approaches are designed to help you find the right drugs and avoid the possibility of relapse.

Psychotherapy is a viable option if antidepressants do not work. These include cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical technique in which electrodes inside the brain are placed to target specific regions of the brain that can cause disorders and conditions such as depression. The electrodes are connected to a device which emits electrical pulses to treat the condition. The DBS device is referred to as a neurostimulator and is also used to treat other neurological disorders such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. The DBS device's pulsing could "jam up" circuits that trigger abnormal brain activity during depression, leaving other circuits unaffected.

Clinical studies of DBS have shown significant improvements in patients suffering from treatment resistant depression (TRD). Despite the positive results however, the path to steady recovery from TRD is different for each patient. Clinicians rely on the subjective reports from interviews with patients and psychiatric rating scales that can be difficult for them 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 that can distinguish the depressive from stable recovery states.  depression therapy  was published in Nature Human Behaviour, exemplifies the importance of combining medical, neuroscience and computer engineering disciplines to develop potentially life-changing therapies.

During the DBS procedure, doctors place a wire-like lead inside the brain through a hole in the skull. The lead has a number of electrodes on its tip that send electrical signals to the brain. The lead is connected to an extension cable that extends from the head, behind the ear and down to the chest. The lead and extension are connected to an implanted battery-powered stimulator beneath the skin of your chest.

The programmable neurostimulator produces electric pulses to regulate abnormal brain activity in the regions targeted by DBS devices. In the study, the researchers used DBS to target a specific region of the brain known as the subcallosal cingulate cortex (SCC). Scientists discovered that stimulation of the SCC resulted in an increase in dopamine levels, which could aid in the treatment of depression.

Brain Scanners

A doctor can use a variety tools and techniques to identify depression, but the brain scan is the most effective method. This technique employs imaging to track changes at the structural and function levels of brain activity. It can be used to identify the regions of a patient's brain that are affected by the disorder and determine what is happening in those areas in real-time.

Brain mapping can help to predict the type of treatment is most effective for an individual. Some people respond better antidepressant medication than others. However, this isn't always the situation. By using MRI to assess the effectiveness of a medication psychologists and doctors are more precise when prescribing it for their patients. Monitoring how their treatment progressing can also encourage better compliance.

Despite its wide-spread prevalence, research in mental health has been hampered by the difficulty of measuring it. While there is a plethora of information about depression, anxiety and other disorders, a clear understanding of the causes behind these disorders has been difficult. Technology is now uncovering the causes of these conditions.

A recent study published in Nature Medicine, for example, classified depression into six distinct subtypes. This paves the way toward customized treatment.

Researchers used fMRI to analyze brain activity in 801 people with depression and 137 people who were not. They studied the activation and connectivity of brain circuits that are affected by depression, including those that regulate emotions and cognition. They examined a participant's brain scans during the time of rest as well as while performing specific tasks.

The results were that a combination of resting state and task-based measures were able to determine if a person would react to SSRIs. This is the very first time a predictive test for the field of psychiatry has been created. The team is currently working on developing an automated test that will give these predictive results.

This is especially useful for those who do not respond to conventional treatments such as therapy and medication. In fact, as high as 60 percent of people with depression aren't responding to the first form of treatment they receive. Some of these patients are referred to as resistant to treatment and are difficult to treat with standard treatment however, the hope is that new technologies will help to optimize treatment options.

Brain Implants

Sarah was suffering from a severe form of depression. She described it as a dark hole that pulled her down. It was a force so powerful that she was unable to move. She tried a range of drugs however none of them gave her a lasting boost. She had also undergone other treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy and ketamine injections, but they too did not work. Finally, she agreed to undergo a surgery that would allow researchers to implant electrodes into her brain to give her a targeted jolt every time she was about to suffer from a depressive attack.

The method, also called deep brain stimulation, is widely used to treat Parkinson's disease and has been shown to help those suffering from depression that is resistant to treatment. However, it's not a cure, but rather aids the brain in dealing with the illness. It makes use of a device to implant tiny electrodes into specific areas of the brain, like the pacemaker.

In a research study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, two researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) explain how they utilized the DBS device for the first time to customize the treatment of depression for patients. They called it a "revolutionary" approach that could open the door for a more flexible DBS treatments for other patients.

The team studied Sarah's brain's circuits, and discovered that her amygdala is the cause of her depression episodes. They discovered that a region deep within her brain -- the ventral striatum -is responsible for calming her amygdala's excessive reaction. They then placed the matchbox-sized device in Sarah's head and strung its electrode legs shaped like spaghetti to the two areas.

When a symptom of depression occurs the device instructs Sarah's brain to send a tiny electrical charge to the amygdala, and to the ventral striatum. This shock is intended to stop depression and motivate her to be more positive. It's not a cure, however it can make a big impact for those who require it the most. In the future, this could be used to identify biological indicators that indicate depression is on the horizon, allowing doctors the opportunity to prepare by increasing the stimulation.

Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine is a way to tailor prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for specific patients, based on the information gathered through molecular profiling. Medical imaging, lifestyle information, etc. This differs from conventional treatments that are designed for an average patient - an all-encompassing approach that may not be effective or efficient.

Recent research has revealed various factors that contribute to depression in different patients. These include genetic differences and neural circuitry disorders as well as biomarkers psychosocial markers and others. The goal of individualized psychiatry is to incorporate these findings in the clinical decision-making for optimal care. It also aims to aid in the development and implementation of specific treatment plans for psychiatric issues such as depression.

Personalized psychiatry continues to progress however, there are many obstacles currently preventing its clinical application. For example many psychiatrists aren't familiar with the various antidepressants as well as their pharmacological profiles, which can result in a suboptimal prescription. Additionally the cost and complexity of the integration of multiomics data into healthcare systems, as well as ethical considerations have to be taken into account.

Pharmacogenetics is a promising way to improve the effectiveness of personalized psychiatry. It makes use of the genetic makeup of a patient in order to determine the proper dosage of medication. This can reduce the adverse effects of medications and boost treatment effectiveness, especially with SSRIs.

However, it is important to emphasize that this is merely a potential approach and requires more research before being implemented. Other factors, like lifestyle choices and environmental influences are also important to consider. The integration of pharmacogenetics into depression treatment should therefore be carefully balanced.

Functional neuroimaging is a further promising tool for guiding the choice of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Studies have shown 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. Moreover, some clinical trials have already used these findings to guide their selection of participants, targeting those with greater levels of activation and thus having better responses to treatment.