American scientists have developed an electrical implant that can detect and treat severe depression. A device the size of a matchbox is placed in the patient’s skull and connected to the brain. This is reported in the journal Nature Medicine.
The device has already been tested by 36-year-old Sarah: she installed it over a year ago and says that it changed her life. The implant works constantly, but the impulse is triggered only when the patient needs it.
Sarah has experienced many treatments in recent years, including antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy, but to no avail. According to her, she suffered every day, almost did not move and did nothing.
After the installation and inclusion of the implant, her life changed for the better, and after a while she lost her thoughts of suicide. A year after the installation of the implant, the woman has no side effects.
Researcher Dr. Catherine Skangos explained that the technology works on a depression chain in a patient’s brain. The device can predict when her symptoms are most severe and influence them. Scientists plan to test the technology in more patients with severe depression to see if it can help other people as well.