Comments on: Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant depression

By: New Kind of Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression | Dr Shock MD PhD

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:12:55 +0000

[...] stimulation (DBS) may offer hope to patients suffering from chronic and severe depression. In recent published research about deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depression, six months after surgery, 60% of patients were responders and 35% met criteria for remission, [...]

By: Lutz

Lutz — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:07:07 +0000

Unfortunately the DBS video on Parkinson does not work! Any suggestions??

By: Wednesday Round Up #54 « Neuroanthropology

Wednesday Round Up #54 « Neuroanthropology — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:39:02 +0000

[...] Shock, Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression Looks like the benefits are sustained over time in the patients who do [...]

By: Dr Shock

Dr Shock — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:22:05 +0000

Dear Herb,
Treatment resistant depression is an obscure term, your absolutely right, and I am glad they wont use the term. We in Europe should also loose this term. Thanks for the insight, kind regards Dr shock

By: herb

herb — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:38:30 +0000

Hi Doc,

I think this is extremely exciting news for those long suffering patients of MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) refractory to medications and other treatment regimes.

As a side-note I wanted to point out that based upon CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) here in the U.S. and their decision of May 4, 2007 as it relates to VNS Therapy that “treatment resistant depression” is not recognized by them or contained in the DSM IV whereas chronic and recurrent depression and/or MDD are recognized.

http://www.vnsdepression.com/pp10-010173-articles_5-4-07-CMS-Kills-Any-Hope-For-VNS.htm

While Medtronic’s DBS has recently been approved for severe obsessive-compulsive disorder by the FDA the question remains as to whether or not CMS and the health insurance industry in this country will approve reimbursement. Looking further down the road based upon your posting is the similar question of reimbursement of DBS for MDD patients but please rest assured that the sponsors of DBS, in my opinion, have learned from the VNS fiasco and they shall not be using the term “treatment resistant depression.”

The news you offer is extremely exciting to me as I also cross my fingers for a special friend who is one of participants in the DBS study for MDD.

Warmly,
Herb
VNSdepression.com