Emory University has joined a national clinical trial to study deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a potential treatment for individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The university is one of 25 sites across the United States participating in the TRANSCEND clinical trial, which is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of Abbott’s DBS system for people who have not responded to conventional therapies.
The first patient at Emory was treated on July 28 at Emory University Hospital. Additional patients are currently being enrolled. This marks another step in Emory’s ongoing research into neuromodulation and brain health.
“Emory has been a leader in DBS research for decades, and we’re proud to be part of this important new study,” said Patricio Riva-Posse, MD, associate professor and director of the Interventional Psychiatry Service in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and principal investigator for Emory. “The previous open-label studies we have conducted since 2007 at Emory using DBS to treat depression show significant and durable antidepressant effects. This new clinical trial will help us build on that foundation to better understand who may benefit most and why.”
According to estimates, about 2.8 million Americans each year experience TRD, which is diagnosed after several treatments such as medication or psychotherapy fail to provide relief. With each unsuccessful attempt, chances for improvement decrease, making recovery more difficult.
“This clinical trial builds on Emory’s longstanding leadership in neuromodulation for complex neurological and psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression,” said Nicholas Au Yong, MD, PhD, associate professor of Neurosurgery, Cell Biology and Biomedical Engineering, implanting neurosurgeon at Emory and co-investigator. “It is made possible through close collaboration between neurosurgery and psychiatry, united by the goal of developing more effective therapies and offering meaningful hope to patients facing the most severe forms of depression. The need is urgent, and advancing this research is essential to changing the course of the disease.”
DBS has been approved by the FDA for nearly three decades as a therapy for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease but has not yet received approval as a treatment for TRD. Abbott obtained Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA allowing further study in this area.
In DBS procedures related to this trial, surgeons place electrodes in specific areas of the brain involved with mood regulation along with battery-powered stimulators under the skin near the chest. These devices send electrical signals aimed at regions thought to play a role in depression.
More information about this study can be found at clinicaltrials.gov.
