According to a new study published in NATURE, electrical current applied to patients’ backs reduced their depression symptoms!
You don’t need lengthy descriptions to grasp how seriously depression affects individuals and society: about 17% of adults in the US are being treated for diagnosed depression.
Over the years, awareness has grown, and with it the range of treatments we as a society offer to people who struggle with “mental” disorders.
From psychotherapy, through the Prozac and SSRI revolution of the 1990s, to innovative psychedelic treatments in recent years. These advances are welcome, yet it is clear that a large share of people still aren’t helped by existing treatments or find the side effects hard to bear, and that we as a society need to find more solutions. That is why understanding the connection between our brain, body and behavior, along with studies like the one I’ll briefly present here, carries great significance for the future of treating disorders of this kind.
About the Study
In this study (link below), the researchers attached electrodes to the backs of participants (adults diagnosed with clinical depression who were not taking medication during the study or in the month before it), one directly over the spine and one on the right shoulder blade. A controlled series of electrical currents was then delivered for 20 minutes, about three times a week. The study was randomized and double-blind: participants completed an interview and questionnaires before undergoing the treatment series for about 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the group that received the treatment showed a significant improvement in depression symptoms compared with the control group.
Francisco Romo-Nava, one of the study’s leaders: “We think the connection between the brain and the body is an essential component of psychiatric illness. Many symptoms of mood disorders or eating disorders can be thought of as a dysregulation of the connection between the body and the brain.”
It’s important to understand that communication between the brain, the body and the nervous system runs along a constant feedback loop, and the spinal cord is the main conduit between the two systems. Previous studies have shown abnormal patterns in the signals traveling along this pathway in people with depression, so “indirect” approaches, such as electrodes placed at specific points on the body, may be able to change these problematic patterns.
The study is very preliminary and has its limitations (such as the small number of participants), but it offers hope for the future and, above all, shows that we must keep researching the physiological aspects of disorders we define as “mental.”
Treating Symptoms with SGB
Stella’s treatment is backed by dozens of clinical studies and is called SGB (Stellate Ganglion Block): a short procedure that targets the neural and physical changes in the “fight or flight” system that occur in the patient’s body as a result of trauma or anxiety. The treatment is a medical procedure in which a local anesthetic is injected into a bundle of nerves in the neck, guided by imaging (ultrasound) for maximum precision and effectiveness. For more information, contact us or visit the FAQ section of our website.
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