Deep brain stimulation for major depressive disorder

Major Depressive Disorder continues to pose a major public health challenge as up to one-third of patients fail to respond adequately to standard pharmacological and somatic therapies. An improved understanding of the complex circuitry underlying depressive disorders has fostered renewed interest in the development of non-pharmacological approaches to managing these seriously ill patients. Each of these treatments seeks to restore normal brain activity via electrical or magnetic stimulation. In this article, the authors discuss the current status of deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression, including the scientific rationale for re-exploring surgical interventions for MDD, the role of functional imaging in our understanding of the pathophysiology of depression, and the results of clinical trials.