Deep brain stimulation shows promise in patients with treatment resistant depression.

-a study published in the International Journal of American and made 8 patients who have been treated with brain stimulation deep, has shown that the treatment-resistant depression refers in 50% of cases within a year

-response rate, a year of initiating treatment, 62% (almost two of every three patients)

-A despite the results, the clinical application of still widely must wait some years

-depression is the leading cause of occupational fatalities and the Group of patients with treatment-resistant depression is more indirect costs generated

Vitoria-Gasteiz, March 2012.- last Friday filed in Vitoria-Gasteiz, with over 400 psychiatrists who have gathered around the 20th update course in Psychiatry, the results of a scientific study, published in the International Journal of American (1), on the use of deep brain stimulation in patients with resistant depression treatment (patients with depression who do not show one) (relevant improvement with conventional therapies).

In this regard, Dr. Victor Perez, director of the Psychiatry Unit of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, Member of the biomedical research centre in Mental Health (CIBERSAM UAB) network, and co-author of the research work, progress has been made that the results of investigationscarried out a total of 8 patients who have been treated with deep brain stimulation, show that the treatment-resistant depression refers entirely in 50 percent of cases ”.

The expert has emphasized that the results are promising, but it is still necessary to keep the proper caution, since it is necessary to further investigate rather than to ratify the safety, efficacy and efficiency of this treatment for its clinical application on a regular basis ”.

For the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant depression, the researchers implanted electrodes on a bilateral basis in the brain subgenual Cingulate gyrus ”. These electrodes had encouraged this area at 135 Hz and with a wavelength of 90 ms ”.

As has indicated the doctor Víctor Pérez, in the first week after the implantation of electrodes, rates of response and remission of patients respectively, were 87.5% and 50%. These first responses were followed in the weeks immediately following a decline in results, with rates of response and remission of 37.5% (3/8) within a month. From then on, patients showed a gradual improvement, with rates of response and remission of 87.5% and 37.5%, respectively, at 6 months, and 62.5% and 50%, respectively, completing the first year of treatment ”.

The expert pointed out also that this is the second independent study on the use of deep brain stimulation to treat chronic depression resistant to current therapeutic strategies. The results contribute to support its validity as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this important group of patients ”. However, it has discarded its clinical application of generally short-term, reiterating that still will have to wait a few years until his generalisation.

The director of the Psychiatry Unit of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona explained within the 20th update course in psychiatry to in recent years there has been a change in the concept of what is known as treatment-resistant depression. Today we have a very large number of patients who, in the best of cases, improve a bit with conventional treatments but that, unfortunately, are still braving important symptoms that severely affects their health and their quality of life ”.

Drugs that work

In addition to brain stimulation deep, doctor Víctor Pérez has pointed out that today, thanks to recent advances in the field of Pharmacology, have several molecules that have shown their ability to successfully treat patients with treatment-resistant depression in a scientific way,. Some of them even do it with a specific indication for this pathology ”.

The psychiatrist has emphasized that these new treatments are within the therapeutic armamentarium available today in any consultation Psychiatry, thanks to the fact that they have demonstrated their ability to effectively treat patients with refractory depression ”.

Finally, the researcher of the CIBERSAM reminded that depression is the leading cause of sick leave in Spain ” and in this group, the group that more indirect labour costs generated, is that of patients with treatment-resistant depression ”.

Referencia:

(1) Deep brain stimulation of the subcallosal cingulate gyrus: further evidence in treatment-resistant major depression. Puigdemont D, Pérez-Egea R, Portella MJ, Molet J, Diego-Adeliño J, Gironell A, Radua J, Gomez-Anson B, Rodriguez R, Serra M, Quintana C, Artigas (f), Alvarez E, Perez V. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011 Jul 22: 1-13.