: A new study is underway Neurotechnological techniques for treatment Adolescent depression Gives encouraging results. The study was led by Professor Farnaq Farzan of Simon Fraser University (SFU) and was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.
Clinical and Neurophysiological effects No brain stimulation followed by cognitive exercise in 26 adolescents Major depressive disorder (MDD) were investigated (aged 16 – 24 years).
TBSBrain stimulation, a form of brain stimulation, has previously been shown to be a quick and effective therapy for treating depression in adults.
TBS stimulates The prefrontal cortex With magnetic pulsations or bursts of the brain. This brain region is involved in many aspects of cognition, including reasoning, problem solving, comprehension, and impulse control.
It also happens to be a brain region associated with MDD. For example, prefrontal brain dysfunction has been linked to symptoms such as rumination and suicidal ideation.
This investigation employed TBS to target the prefrontal cortex in adolescent participants for four weeks. The researchers then observed and monitored changes in brain activity using a multimodal brain mapping technique combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation. Electroencephalography.
At the end of the four-week trial, researchers observed significant changes in brain activity in both treated and non-TBS-stimulated regions. Changes in brain activity were also linked to lower depression and rumination scores.
More treatment options are needed: “Major depressive disorder affects about 11 percent of adolescents and young adults, but existing treatments, such as medication and psychotherapy, fail to significantly improve symptoms in about 30 – 50 percent of cases,” says Farzan. A professor in SFU’s School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE). She also holds the Chair in Technology Innovations for Youth Addiction Recovery and Mental Health and heads SFU’s new Brain Lab.
The researchers note that some drugs have been associated with side effects in young people such as suicidal thoughts and behavior – leading to a search for safer treatment options.
Building on previous research: Previous research has shown a link between dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and MDD. “Using TMS-EEG brain mapping technology, we also found that the prefrontal cortex in youth with MDD showed greater brain activity compared to healthy youth. In the current study, it was exciting to see that this excess brain activity was reduced by four weeks of TBS treatment. possibly reflecting a return to a ‘healthy’ state,” says SFU doctoral student Prabhjot Dhami, first author of the study.
Impairments of the prefrontal cortex in youth with MDD may also contribute to symptoms such as rumination and suicidal ideation/behavior, notes Farzan. Since the prefrontal cortex is important for executive functioning, dysfunction or deficits in this region can lead to the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms.
Neurotechnological treatments, such as TBS targeting the prefrontal cortex followed by cognitive exercises that can also engage this brain region, have the potential to optimize the impact on the prefrontal cortex in youth MDD to more effectively reduce symptoms, according to the researchers.
