DBS Shows 50 Percent Success Rate for Severe, Treatment-Resistent Depression and Anxiety
- Jason Durham
- Nov 24, 2025
- 2 min read
New research from teams in the UK and China shows that deep brain stimulation, a procedure that uses implanted electrodes to normalize unhealthy brain activity, helped one in two people living with severe, treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. In this open-label trial, half of the participants experienced meaningful clinical improvement, and more than a third reached remission. The therapy targeted two key areas involved in fear, stress, motivation, and reward, offering relief for people who had exhausted standard treatments.
What sets this study apart is its discovery of a clear brain-wave signature that predicted who would benefit most. Patients with lower levels of theta activity, a type of slow, rhythmic electrical activity in the brain’s stress-regulation center, tended to show stronger improvement in mood, anxiety, and daily functioning. The researchers also found that greater synchrony between this region and the prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate emotions, was linked to better outcomes. These patterns give clinicians a possible roadmap for tailoring DBS more precisely.
The findings also open the door to future “closed-loop” approaches, where the system automatically adjusts stimulation based on real-time shifts in a person’s brain state. Researchers believe this could help stabilize anxiety as it rises and falls throughout the day. With ongoing clinical work, including an upcoming randomized controlled trial, this study strengthens the growing evidence that DBS could become a promising option for those facing the heaviest forms of depression.
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