Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1070090
M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 019 2 3 A B O U T 6 0 0 P AT I E N T S for whom separate or combination use of four or more antidepressants had not delivered relief took part in the study. Researchers used stimulators that sent mild electrical pulses to the brain via the vagus nerve. Patients using stimulators and, in many cases, medication, had more improve- ment on 10 of 14 quality-of-life measures than patients using only combinations of treatments such as psychotherapy and antidepressants. Among those measures were overall well-being and the ability to work. While vagus nerve stimulation has long been FDA-approved for address- ing treatment-resistant depression, the study expanded assessment of patients' responses to nerve stimulation beyond the therapy's antidepressant effect. "For a person to be considered to have responded to a depression therapy, he or she needs to experience a 50 percent decline in his or her standard depression score," Charles R . Conway, MD, Washing ton University Professor of Psychiatry, said in a news release about the findings. "But we noticed anecdotally that some patients with stimulators reported they were feel- ing much better even though their scores were only dropping 34 to 40 percent." About 16 million U.S. adults had a major depressive episode in 2016, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The findings were published online in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. n Nerve Stimulation, Depression and Quality of Life BY STEVE BARRETT NERVE STIMUL ATION CAN BOOST QUALIT Y OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION, A STUDY SPE ARHE ADED BY SCIENTISTS AT WA SHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST. LOUIS SUGGESTS. CORE 059990052_InnoTech1 [P];10_View.indd 1 12/6/18 8:19 AM THE MEN'S INJURIE S took place five to 13 years ago, a news release from UCLA notes. During weekly, 15-minute sessions over four months, neuro- scientists at the university used a magnetic device to stimulate the lower spinal cord through the skin. A similar approach has been used to boost nerve cell function in the brain to address conditions such as depression. After four sessions, the men saw measurable improvement. Four had significant reductions in the daily frequency with which they had to use a catheter. In addition, average bladder capacity among participants rose from 244 milliliters to 404 milliliters. The benefit lasted up to four weeks after one participant's last treatment: He was able to stop catheter use entirely for that period. "Most spina l cord injuries a re not a natomica lly complete; the spina l cord reta ins a wea k, residua l connection with the bra in," Da niel Lu, MD, of UCL A Hea lth, states in the release. " We a re restor i ng bladder f unction by a mpli f y i ng t hese fa int sig na ls a nd en ha ncing the neura l circuits' abi lit y to respond to them." Restoring bladder function is a key priority for people with spina l cord injuries, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of Neurotrauma. n FIVE MEN WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES THAT IMPAIRED THE ABILIT Y TO VOLUNTARILY URINATE GAINED IMPROVED BL ADDER CONTROL A S WELL A S AVER AGE QUALIT Y-OF-LIFE IMPROVEMENT OF 60 PERCENT AF TER LOWER-SPINAL-CORD STIMUL ATION, ACCORDING TO A STUDY IN SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. Stimulation Aids Spinal Cord Injury Patients' BY STEVE BARRETT Bladder Control