Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression

Study Design: Subjects will be ten patients with MDD identified via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, manifesting a current major depressive episode of disabling severity, refractory to prolonged treatment trials with conventional medication, electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and psychotherapy. A marked impact of depression on their health and functional status will be evidenced by major impairment in functioning or potentially severe medical outcomes (repeated hospitalizations, serious suicidal or other self-injurious behavior). They will be recruited from individuals currently seen at our facility or referred by psychiatrists in the community. Patients will be initially screened by a comprehensive review of their psychiatric history, obtained by interview of the patient, family and treating psychiatrist and/or psychologist, as well as by obtaining and reviewing all available records of previous psychiatric treatment. The available generally-accepted alternative treatments for depression are pharmacologic therapy, psychotherapy, and ECT. Failed trials of multiple proven pharmacologic treatments, an adequate course of psychotherapy, and an adequate course of bilateral ECT (or inability to tolerate an adequate ECT trial) are inclusion criteria for all candidates who are considered for this study. However, as alternatives to participation in this study, candidates may undertake additional trials of potentially beneficial novel combinations of medication and psychotherapy, or they may undertake trials of novel interventions lacking definitive evidence of efficacy in severe depression (e.g., light therapy, herbal therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation). The protocol was designed to include four phases. All patients will enter these phases in the same sequence. The experimental design is illustrated in the timeline in Figure 1. Surgical implantation will be followed by: 1) Baseline Phase (a 1 month period with no stimulation); 2) Variable Staggered Phase (blinded stimulation onset starting from 1 month to 3 months post implant, with optimal parameter determination during this time ; 3) Initial Chronic Phase (blinded bilateral stimulation, lasting at least three months) (see below); 4) Continuation Phase (unblinded active bilateral or unilateral stimulation to maximize clinical response) Protocol overview and design: We propose a clinical study of medial forebrain bundle DBS as a treatment in 10 patients with treatment refractory depression (TRD). Data from the University of Bonn indicates that surgical lesions of the medical forebrain bundle can produce therapeutic benefits in patients with depressive disorders, and suggest that DBS at the same site may also reduce symptomatology in these TRD patients (Schaepfer, 2013). Depression affects up to 10% of the US population and of those at least 10-15% do not benefit from therapies hence why we must explore new treatments. The Percept™ PC system manufactured by Medtronic Neurological will be used in this study. Those identified as TRD patients will then be enrolled in a clinical pilot study investigating DBS, targeting the MFB.