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Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment
Published on: July 7, 2023
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Exploratory meta-analysis on deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression
1Institute for Clinical Medicine,Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit,Psychiatric Hospital of Aarhus University,Risskov,Denmark.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica
|September 19, 2014
Summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) shows promise for treatment-resistant depression, potentially being 71% more effective than sham treatments. This means 2.9 patients need DBS for one to benefit, highlighting its potential in managing severe depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an experimental therapy for major depressive disorder.
- Limited data exists on the impact of sham responses on DBS efficacy for depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how sham responding influences the efficacy of deep brain stimulation for major depressive disorder.
- To conduct an exploratory meta-analysis to quantify DBS effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a recent review on deep brain electrical stimulation benefits.
- Examined stimulation in regions like subgenual cingulate and nucleus accumbens.
- Employed expert opinion and random number software to model hypothetical sham responses.
Main Results:
- An effect size of 1.71 (95% CI: 1.47-1.96) was observed for DBS compared to sham treatment.
- Deep brain stimulation demonstrated a 71% greater effectiveness than sham treatment in patients with long-term treatment-resistant depression.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary results suggest deep brain electrical stimulation is significantly more effective than sham interventions.
- The patient-needed-to-treat (PNT) for DBS in long-term treatment-resistant depression is 2.9, indicating a substantial potential benefit for a subset of patients.
