Carnegie Mellon researchers discover new minimally invasive method for deep brain stimulation to treat depression and other neural conditions

PITTSBURGH – Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Allegheny Health Network have developed a new method for deep brain stimulation. The technique, called “DeepFocus,” uses transnasal electrical stimulation to achieve more accurate electrical stimulation in the brain.

DeepFocus uses close proximity and highly conductive pathways offered by thin bones between the nasal cavity and brain to create larger and more accurate electric fields in deep brain regions than traditional scalp electrode configurations. This method enables more efficient and lower-risk targeting of deep brain structures to treat multiple neural conditions, including depression, PTSD, OCD, and substance abuse disorder.

DeepFocus could provide both short- and long-term treatments. Chronic treatments that require persistent stimulation could be delivered through an implant, while acute applications could be delivered in short sessions with endoscopic insertion and removal of the device. 

There is precedent for treating neurological conditions with implanted electrodes in the deep brain, but it requires a sophisticated surgical procedure to implant the system which is highly invasive and carries risk of intracranial hemorrhage and infection. This traditional method also isn’t steerable, which means the stimulation target cannot be changed once the electrodes are implanted inside the brain.

“Early results of invasive deep brain stimulation in treating neuropsychiatric conditions have been very promising,” said Pulkit Grover, the senior author of this study and a professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering. “But the sophisticated surgery required for invasive deep brain stimulation technology makes it unlikely to be widely adopted.”

Noninvasive techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS), and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) have lower risk and are steerable, but aren’t as effective as implanted electrodes due to limited depth and resolution. TMS and TES can also cause high scalp pain because of more intense electric currents. DeepFocus offers a minimally invasive solution that is more accurate, less painful, and steerable. 

Grover added, “The U.S. is facing a severe mental health crisis, with PTSD, depression, and substance abuse disorders among the most pressing societal challenges. While surgically implanted deep-brain stimulation has shown promise, it lacks both widespread acceptance and the necessary FDA approvals for these conditions. Our minimally invasive, low-risk approach, which can be implemented in an outpatient setting, presents a scalable and widely applicable solution.”

Read more about the research here.

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About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon, cmu.edu, is a private, internationally ranked research university with acclaimed programs spanning the sciences, engineering, technology, business, public policy, humanities, and the arts. Our diverse community of scholars, researchers, creators, and innovators is driven to make real-world impacts that benefit people across the globe. With a bold, interdisciplinary, and entrepreneurial approach, we do the work that matters.

About the College of Engineering
The College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University is a top-ranked engineering college that is known for our Advanced Collaboration culture in research and education. The College is well-known for working on problems of both scientific and practical importance. Our “maker” culture is ingrained in all that we do, leading to novel approaches and transformative results. Our acclaimed faculty have a focus on innovation management and engineering to yield transformative results that will drive the intellectual and economic vitality of our community, nation, and world.