Common

Depression: Scientists discover „Euphoria-Circuit“

By analyzing historical brain surgeries, an international team of researchers has identified a new target structure for dealing with depression. They are now hoping for new ways of successfully treating severe depressions.

Up until about twenty years ago, physicians have been treating depression surgically as a last resort. They destroyed specific small areas in their patients’ brains. Although bearing some risk, these surgeries succeeded quite remarkably: in up to 70 percent of cases, the condition of the people affected improved considerably.

Until the late 80’s, depression researchers have managed to identify four areas whose destruction would result in particularly positive effects. They are located in completely different areas of the brain.

Scientists from the Universities of Bonn, Washington State and British Columbia were now able to identify its common thread: all of them are “wired” to a structure called the medial forebrain bundle. That is a bundle of nerves stretching from the lower brain stem to the frontal lobe. It appears to connect different brain regions associated with depression. “Therefore, this Euphoria-Circuit might be an interesting target structure for the treatment of the disorder”, neurosurgeon Professor Dr. Volker Coenen explains.

Target Structure for the brain pacemaker

Coenen runs the stereotaxis field of attention at the Bonn University Clinic. The 38-year old conducts highly precise procedures on the brain without damaging intact tissue. He precisely implants electrodes into malfunctional brain areas through a small hole in the skull. Those can then be stimulated by weak electrical impulses. This procedure is called deep brain stimulation and can be helpful for patients with Parkinson’s disease. For a couple of years now, it has however been practiced for treatment of major depression as well.

Up until now it has been assumed that the four typical regions of surgery take on different functions in the processing of emotions. No one knew they were “wired” together. “How different brain areas are interconnected has been very difficult to visualize in the past”, explains Professor Dr. Bernd Weber, Coenens partner in cooperation. “Basically, this could be done only by cutting into dead peoples’ brains.”

It gets a lot easier due to a new procedure: using magnetic resonance imaging it can be determined in which direction the water within the brain diffuses. However, bundles of nerves are an insurmountable obstacles for interstitial fluids – they can only flow along the outside. “These directed currents are visualized”, states the expert for neuronal imaging. The scientists have examined about 50 healthy patients using this method. For each one they simulated the interrelations of the four conventional brain regions in virtual brain surgeries.

Contact Information:
Professor Dr. Volker Arnd Coenen
Schwerpunkt Stereotaxie und MR-basierte Operationsverfahren Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn
Phone: +49 (0)228/287-16503
volker.coenen@ukb.uni-bonn.de

Professor Dr. Bernd Weber
Leiter der Arbeitsgruppe NeuroCognition/Imaging, Universität Bonn
Phone: +49 (0)228/6885-262
bernd.weber@ukb.uni-bonn.de

Source: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Topic: Biotechnology, Health and Medicine

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	Common Depression: Scientists discover „Euphoria-Circuit“ By analyzing historical brain surgeries, an international team of researchers has identified a new target structure for dealing with depression. They are now hoping for new ways of successfully treating severe depressions. Up until about twenty years ago, physicians have been treating depression surgically as a last resort. They destroyed specific small areas in their patients’ brains. Although bearing some risk, these surgeries succeeded quite remarkably: in up to 70 percent of cases, the condition of the people affected improved considerably. Until the late 80’s, depression researchers have managed to identify four areas whose destruction would result in particularly positive effects. They are located in completely different areas of the brain. Scientists from the Universities of Bonn, Washington State and British Columbia were now able to identify its common thread: all of them are “wired” to a structure called the medial forebrain bundle. That is a bundle of nerves stretching from the lower brain stem to the frontal lobe. It appears to connect different brain regions associated with depression. “Therefore, this Euphoria-Circuit might be an interesting target structure for the treatment of the disorder”, neurosurgeon Professor Dr. Volker Coenen explains. Target Structure for the brain pacemaker Coenen runs the stereotaxis field of attention at the Bonn University Clinic. The 38-year old conducts highly precise procedures on the brain without damaging intact tissue. He precisely implants electrodes into malfunctional brain areas through a small hole in the skull. Those can then be stimulated by weak electrical impulses. This procedure is called deep brain stimulation and can be helpful for patients with Parkinson’s disease. For a couple of years now, it has however been practiced for treatment of major depression as well. Up until now it has been assumed that the four typical regions of surgery take on different functions in the processing of emotions. No one knew they were “wired” together. “How different brain areas are interconnected has been very difficult to visualize in the past”, explains Professor Dr. Bernd Weber, Coenens partner in cooperation. “Basically, this could be done only by cutting into dead peoples’ brains.” It gets a lot easier due to a new procedure: using magnetic resonance imaging it can be determined in which direction the water within the brain diffuses. However, bundles of nerves are an insurmountable obstacles for interstitial fluids – they can only flow along the outside. “These directed currents are visualized”, states the expert for neuronal imaging. The scientists have examined about 50 healthy patients using this method. For each one they simulated the interrelations of the four conventional brain regions in virtual brain surgeries. Contact Information: Professor Dr. Volker Arnd Coenen Schwerpunkt Stereotaxie und MR-basierte Operationsverfahren Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn Phone: +49 (0)228/287-16503 volker.coenen@ukb.uni-bonn.de Professor Dr. Bernd Weber Leiter der Arbeitsgruppe NeuroCognition/Imaging, Universität Bonn Phone: +49 (0)228/6885-262 bernd.weber@ukb.uni-bonn.de Source: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn Topic: Biotechnology, Health and Medicine	Print page Back