Preliminary clinical and electrophysiological findings of NAc/ALIC deep brain stimulation strategy for...

Effective therapeutic options for treatment-resistant depression remain limited. This study investigated the clinical and electrophysiological effects of dual-target deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens and anterior limb of the internal capsule. In a small patient cohort, the intervention was associated with reduced depressive symptoms and improved cognitive performance. Concurrent electrophysiological recordings revealed that clinical improvement correlated with elevated gamma oscillations in the stimulated target and increased theta-band power in frontal-limbic regions. These integrated findings provide a preliminary framework for understanding therapeutic mechanisms and suggest potential biomarkers for optimizing deep brain stimulation therapy in treatment-resistant depression.