In a major breakthrough, researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify brain signals associated with recovering from depression.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, outline how a new deep brain stimulation (DBS) device coupled with powerful AI may improve therapy for treatment-resistant depression.
People receiving DBS undergo surgery to have a thin metal electrode implanted into specific brain areas to deliver electrical impulses that modulate brain activity.
How exactly DBS improves symptoms in people with depression is not well-understood, which has made it difficult for researchers to objectively track patients’ response to treatment and adjust as needed.
This algorithm could provide doctors with an early warning signal that a patient is moving toward a highly depressive state and requires extra clinical care.
In a study of 10 patients with treatment-resistant depression who underwent DBS therapy for six months, researchers used AI to analyse brain activity data during treatment.
They observed a common brain activity signature or ‘biomarker’ that correlated with patients feeling symptoms of depression or stable as they recovered.
They identified a unique pattern of brain activity that was associated with recovery from depression. The AI model was able to distinguish between patients who were in remission and those who were still experiencing symptoms.
In one patient, researchers were able to predict that a patient would fall back into a major depressive episode four weeks before clinical interviews showed they were at risk of a relapse occurring.
‘Nine out of 10 patients in the study got better, providing a perfect opportunity to use a novel technology to track the trajectory of their recovery,’ said Helen Mayberg, co-senior author of the study.
‘We showed that by using a scalable procedure with single electrodes in the same brain region and informed clinical management, we can get people better,’ said Dr. Rozell, co-senior author of the study.
According to the team, this study represents a significant advance in early stage DBS therapy for various mental disorders, including severe depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, binge eating disorder, and substance use disorder.
Although the approach is still experimental, clinical research shows that DBS can be used to treat cases of depression in which symptoms have not improved with antidepressant medications, referred to as treatment-resistant depression.
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