St. Jude Begins Patient Implants for Deep Brain Stimulation

St. Jude Medical has performed its first patient implants in a clinical study that is investigating whether deep brain stimulation therapy will help people who suffer from major depressive disorder and have not responded to available treatments.

A 59-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were implanted with the company’s Libra deep brain stimulation system, an investigational device. The system provides mild pulses of current from a device implanted near the collarbone that is connected to small electrical leads placed at targets in the brain.

This controlled, blinded, multi-site study is researching an area in the brain called Brodmann Area 25 that is thought to be involved in depression, the company said.