Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

CME Educational Objectives 1. Describe the role of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). 2. Identify the current primary brain targets used in DBS for TRD and describe the major clinical findings. 3. Explain the potential future direction of DBS for TRD. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, insomnia, weight loss or gain, agitation or psychomotor retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, diminished concentration, and suicidal ideation/behavior ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition, text revision [ DSM-IV-TR ]). 1 MDD is one of the leading causes of disability in the world, affecting approximately 14.8 million American adults with a lifetime prevalence rate of 19.2%. 2