An experimental treatment for depression is making waves in the mental health world, and it involves placing electrodes inside the brain. The brain pacemaker, which is called DBS, gives patients electrical impulses on a specific target in the brain, which helps brain neurons communicate properly. The results so far have been staggering, and doctors hope that DBS can become more widely available to treat depression. Emily Hollenbeck was one of the first patients to try DBS at Mount Sinai’s Center for Neuromodulation. After suffering from crippling depression since 2009 and exhausting all other treatment options, she turned to DBS as a last hope. Just one day after her surgery to implant the electrodes, Hollenbeck started feeling the results. She began enjoying eating meals, had motivation to decorate her empty home, felt joy listening to music and being outside, and lost the feeling of heaviness that had plagued her for years. Although DBS is not a cure for depression and only works to relieve symptoms, it can be utterly life changing for patients like Hollenbeck.
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