Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is currently being investigated as a therapy for the treatment of depression. Despite promising results of recent clinical trials, neural and chemical mechanisms responsible for the effects of stimulation are still unclear. In this article, we review clinical and laboratory findings on DBS for depression. Particular emphasis will be given to aspects involved in the translation of data from animal models to humans and in our findings on the potential substrates involved in the antidepressant effects of DBS in rats.
© 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2010 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.