Depression is a complex mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. Studies estimate that approximately 264 million people of all ages experience depression, making it one of the most prevalent mental illnesses globally.
Depression treatment is complex due to the disease’s remarkable diversity and intricacy. Drugs for depression are accessible, yet a third of patients do not react to these primary medications. Other interventions, such as deep brain stimulation , have demonstrated potential in offering significant relief to patients, but past results have been inconsistent.
The researchers made electrophysiological recordings of neural activity from the surface of the brain using implanted intracranial electrodes, and they measured each participant’s depression severity for nine days. The patients were undergoing brain surgery as part of a feasibility study for treatment with DBS.