Personalized Brain Stimulation for Severe Depression
Official title: Responsive Neurostimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-10861716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing a new, personalized brain stimulation approach to help people with severe depression that hasn't responded to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,559,435 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3NS123310-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10861716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with severe major depression that has not responded to other available treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose depression responds to standard treatments or who are not suitable for brain surgery would not receive direct benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
This project aims to help individuals with severe depression that hasn't improved with other treatments by developing a new, personalized brain stimulation method. Unlike traditional approaches, this method customizes the stimulation location in your brain and delivers therapy only when your brain activity shows it's needed. Researchers will first monitor your brain activity to identify unique patterns linked to your depression symptoms. This personalized approach seeks to maximize the treatment's effectiveness while minimizing side effects and extending the device's life. The plan involves a small study where participants will first have temporary brain monitoring and then receive a long-term brain stimulation device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this personalized brain stimulation could offer a more effective and tailored treatment option for individuals living with severe, treatment-resistant depression.
How similar studies have gone: While Deep Brain Stimulation has been explored for depression, this specific personalized, closed-loop approach is novel and builds upon pilot work.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krystal, Andrew D — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Krystal, Andrew D
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.