Hope For People With Treatment-Resistant Depression

Millions of Americans suffer from clinical depression, which is a mental health disorder that continually leaves people in depressed moods that substantially impair their daily lives. Its cause can be a blend of biological, psychological and social factors and can frequently be ameliorated with psychiatric therapy and medications. 

If you suffer from clinical depression, please feel free to seek help from the psychiatrists at the office of New Rochelle Psychiatry Office. They are committed to treating their patients with empathy, patience and a wide spectrum of proficiency and expertise. Their sincerest hope is to help you lead a happier and more satisfying life. 

There is research that suggests some clinical depressions alter the proper functioning of certain neural circuits in the brain. This condition can result in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which means the depression is resistant to medication. If a patient has already tried other electrical brain-stimulation treatments, he (or she) might want to work with his psychiatrist to try vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). 

VNS uses electrical impulses to arouse the vagal nerve, which transmits information to and from the brain’s surface to tissues and organs in other places in the body. The nerve passes through the neck as it travels between the chest and abdomen and the lower part of the brain. A device (similar to a pacemaker) that uses a wire to connect to the vagal nerve is implanted in the patient’s chest. The device’s electrical signals travel through the vagal nerve to the brain’s mood centers. 

If the psychiatrist and patient decide to take this course of action, the psychiatrist will refer the patient to a board-certified neurosurgeon who performs this type of procedure. This out-patient procedure takes 45 to 90 minutes and usually using general anesthesia. The brain isn’t touched, and it’s unusual if the patient feels the pulses. Using VNS, the symptoms of TRD may be substantially alleviated. 

The psychiatrists at the office of New Rochelle Psychiatry Office pride themselves on their never-ending ability to fulfill their mission to provide superior patient care. Please call today to make an appointment.