Neural Interoceptive Processing Is Modulated by Deep Brain Stimulation to Subcallosal Cingulate Cortex for...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Depression is linked to altered processing of internal bodily sensations (interoception).
• Subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation (SCC DBS) is a treatment for resistant depression with known effects on bodily sensations.
• The targeted brain region for SCC DBS is connected to areas crucial for interoception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if SCC DBS influences cortical interoceptive processing in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
• To explore the relationship between changes in interoception and depression treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEP), a neural marker of interoception.
• HEP was recorded in 8 patients before and up to 6 months after SCC DBS implantation.
• The immediate effects of DBS (on vs. off) and correlation of HEP changes with depression outcomes were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) amplitude significantly increased over 6 months of SCC DBS treatment.
• Increased HEP amplitude was associated with a faster antidepressant response.
• DBS stimulation had an immediate effect on HEP, particularly over the left parietal cortex.

Conclusions:

• SCC DBS appears to modulate neural interoception in treatment-resistant depression.
• These findings support the hypothesis that interoceptive mechanisms play a role in the efficacy of DBS for depression.
• The study provides brain-based evidence linking interoception and depression treatment via DBS.