Understanding how deep brain stimulation can help treat severe depression
Official title: Elucidating Reward Network Modulation in Medial Forebrain Bundle Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11029124 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how deep brain stimulation can help people with treatment-resistant depression, focusing on a key area of the brain that affects emotions and rewards, so if you're struggling to find relief from your depression, you might have the chance to try this treatment and help us learn more about how it works.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $638,872 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH138636-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11029124 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression who have not found relief from conventional therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild depression or those who respond well to standard treatments may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a condition affecting many individuals who do not respond to standard therapies. The study focuses on the medial forebrain bundle, a critical brain pathway involved in emotional and reward processing, to better understand how stimulation affects brain function and behavior. By examining changes in brain metabolism and connectivity, the research aims to identify mechanisms that lead to improvements in depressive symptoms and anhedonia. Patients participating in this research may receive DBS treatment while contributing to the understanding of its effects on the brain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for individuals suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results with deep brain stimulation for depression, indicating potential for significant advancements in treatment.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fenoy, Albert J — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Fenoy, Albert J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Deep brain stimulation targeting the medial forebrain bundle for severe treatment‑resistant depression
This project will use deep brain stimulation of a key brain pathway to help people whose depression hasn't improved with other treatments.
-
Ultrasound-guided brain circuit targets for treatment-resistant depression
This grant tests whether focused ultrasound can safely and reversibly adjust brain circuits linked to negative mood in people with treatment-resistant depression.
-
Mood-state classifiers to guide brain stimulation for treatment-resistant bipolar depression
This project tests a brain stimulation therapy combined with wearable and smartphone data to help people with treatment-resistant bipolar depression regain mood stability.
-
Personalized deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression
A new brain-stimulation approach aims to help people with hard-to-treat depression by tailoring where and when stimulation is given based on individual brain signals.
-
Precision brain mapping to understand hard-to-treat depression
A study using new brain-imaging methods to find reliable biomarkers in people with treatment-resistant depression.
-
Bioenergetic supplements for hard-to-treat depression and anxiety
A grant test-beds the idea that nutrients like creatine and acetyl-L-carnitine could help people with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and cognitive problems.
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.