In order to help people suffering from depression, scientists have found an effective target in the brain, called the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) region, which on stimulation produced acute improvement in the mood. The findings were reported in the journal Current Biology.
Those effects were not seen in patients without mood symptoms, suggesting that the brain stimulation works to normalize activity in mood-related neural circuitry, the researchers say.
Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting approximately 340 million people in the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings.
Advertisement
‘Besides being a target for therapeutic stimulation, OFC is also interconnected with other brain regions involved in emotional processing.’
Tweet it Now
"Stimulation induced a pattern of activity in brain regions connected to OFC that was similar to patterns seen when patients naturally experienced positive mood states," says Vikram Rao, of the University of California, San Francisco. "Our findings suggest that OFC is a promising new stimulation target for treatment of mood disorders."
The team led by Rao and Kristin Sellers in the lab of Edward Chang studied 25 patients with epilepsy who had electrodes placed in the brain for medical reasons to pinpoint the origin of their seizures. Many of those patients also suffered from depression, which is often seen in people with epilepsy. With the patients' consent, Chang's team took advantage of those electrodes to deliver small electrical pulses to areas of the brain thought to be involved in regulating mood.
![Clinical Depression]( "Clinical Depression")
Clinical Depression is a serious medical condition that affects majority of people at some point in their lives. Symptoms of clinical depression include sleep disorder, loss of appetite.
Previous studies have explored deep brain stimulation (DBS) for mood disorders, but its success depends critically on target selection. Targets in other mood-related areas deep in the brain hadn't always led to reliable improvements.
In the new study, the researchers focused their attention and the electrical stimulation on the OFC. The OFC is a key hub for mood-related circuitry. But it's also widely regarded as one of the least well-understood brain regions.
"Although OFC is a more superficial target, it shares rich interconnections with several brain regions implicated in emotion processing," Sellers says. That made this relatively small brain area an attractive target for therapeutic stimulation.
The researchers used the implanted electrodes to stimulate OFC and other brain regions while collecting verbal mood reports and questionnaire scores. Those studies found that unilateral stimulation of the lateral OFC produced acute, dose-dependent mood-state improvement in subjects with moderate-to-severe baseline depression. The changes in brain activity the researchers observed after stimulation closely resembled those seen when people are in a good mood.
The findings show that mood can be immediately improved by electrical stimulation of a relatively small area of brain, the researchers say. They also add to evidence that mood disorders are the result of dysfunction in brain circuits.
The researchers say that plenty of work remains before DBS could enter routine clinical practice. Chang's team is currently exploring whether stimulation of OFC produces durable improvement in mood over longer periods of time. They also hope to develop a medical device for patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders that can monitor brain activity in OFC and stimulate only when needed to keep that activity within a healthy range.
"Ultimately, it would be ideal if activity in mood-related brain circuits could be normalized indefinitely without patients needing to do anything," Rao says.
Source: Eurekalert
Clinical Depression
Clinical Depression is a serious medical condition that affects majority of people at some point in their lives. Symptoms of clinical depression include sleep disorder, loss of appetite.
Advertisement
Previous studies have explored deep brain stimulation (DBS) for mood disorders, but its success depends critically on target selection. Targets in other mood-related areas deep in the brain hadn't always led to reliable improvements.
In the new study, the researchers focused their attention and the electrical stimulation on the OFC. The OFC is a key hub for mood-related circuitry. But it's also widely regarded as one of the least well-understood brain regions.
"Although OFC is a more superficial target, it shares rich interconnections with several brain regions implicated in emotion processing," Sellers says. That made this relatively small brain area an attractive target for therapeutic stimulation.
The researchers used the implanted electrodes to stimulate OFC and other brain regions while collecting verbal mood reports and questionnaire scores. Those studies found that unilateral stimulation of the lateral OFC produced acute, dose-dependent mood-state improvement in subjects with moderate-to-severe baseline depression. The changes in brain activity the researchers observed after stimulation closely resembled those seen when people are in a good mood.
The findings show that mood can be immediately improved by electrical stimulation of a relatively small area of brain, the researchers say. They also add to evidence that mood disorders are the result of dysfunction in brain circuits.
The researchers say that plenty of work remains before DBS could enter routine clinical practice. Chang's team is currently exploring whether stimulation of OFC produces durable improvement in mood over longer periods of time. They also hope to develop a medical device for patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders that can monitor brain activity in OFC and stimulate only when needed to keep that activity within a healthy range.
"Ultimately, it would be ideal if activity in mood-related brain circuits could be normalized indefinitely without patients needing to do anything," Rao says.
Source: Eurekalert
Depression Symptom Evaluation
Depression occurs due to alterations in the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Advertisement
 Adolescent DepressionAdolescent depression is an ailment that occurs during the teenage characterized by persistent melancholy, disappointment and loss of self-esteem. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Mental Health News
Targeting changes mediated by immune cells in the gut could shed insights into new ways to treat mental health disorders such as depression.
Is there a link between oral health and mental health? Yes, people with mental illness usually have poorer oral health compared to the general population.
Resilience and well-being in difficult, stressful, or pandemic times was developed through online program.
Does mental fatigue affect exercise performance? Mental fatigue has a negative effect on technical and decision-making skills in physical performance.
Teens are seeking out alternative forms of information such as social media platforms like TikTok and diagnosing themselves with serious mental health problems.