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New Treatment for Depression

Severe clinical depression is primarily and successfully treated with a combination of antidepressants and talk-therapy, but for aggressive depression that does not respond to that, there is an experimental treatment that may be a solution - deep brain stimulation.

In a recent study, four out of six patients suffering from severe depression underwent deep brain stimulation and saw significant results in their depression symptoms. The study was reported in the medical journal Neuron .

Deep brain stimulation is a treatment that has been used with some positive results in patients with epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. It is a procedure that involves implanting electrodes in specific parts of the brain thought to affect depression.

Patients in the study reported that they felt an increased interest, awareness, and less anxiety when the electrodes were activated. They also showed signs of faster motor functions, more energy, and more spontaneous speech.

The study is encouraging for patients who have typically gone through years of drug therapy or electroshock therapy to then find that it doesn't work.

Source: Reuters

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, writer, and speaker. She has been helping clients with all types of life issues since 1998. She is the Founder and Director of www.GirlShrink.com , a site that offers expert online advice, counseling and coaching for women on a variety of issues such as relationships, mental health and more.

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