Depression in Down syndrome: Treatable through non-invasive brain stimulation?

2024-07-25 09:25:59

The Génopsy network (Le Vinatier psychiatrie universitaire Lyon métropole) announced in a press release a research project to investigate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in treating depression in patients with Down syndrome, a population with a common disease.

Trisomy 21 (T21) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in Western countries. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in 1,000 births worldwide is affected. The symptoms of this syndrome vary from person to person, whether it’s physical characteristics, cognitive abilities or related health issues.

Among the many challenges faced by people with T21, depression is particularly common, affecting approximately 10% of people. Research shows that these people are particularly susceptible to depression compared to others in the field. intellectual developmental disabilities. However, diagnosing depression in these people is not straightforward. due to their language difficultiesdoctors often rely on physical signs movement and behavior as:

Withdrawal, silence, psychomotor slowing, passivity, decreased appetite and insomnia.

Although antidepressant treatment Classic therapies such as psychotropic drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy can be effective, and they often underutilized T21 patients. Psychotropic medications are poorly tolerated and psychotherapy is difficult to administer. Therefore, there is little research on optimal treatment strategies for T21 depression. However, failure to treat depressive symptoms can lead to rapid cognitive deterioration and severe catatonic symptoms.

Non-invasive brain stimulation: a promising avenue

Recently, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, e.g. transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as an alternative. tDCS is particularly attractive because it is cheap and can provide Few or no serious side effects. It involves sending a weak electrical current (1-2 mA) between two electrodes placed on the scalp, thereby changing activity in the stimulated brain area.
Two T21 patients have shown Improve After tDCS treatment, According to the research of J. Brunelin et al. 2022. Based on these results, the researchers now present the first randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS in patients with T21. In addition to assessing the effectiveness of treatments, research will also seek to understand neurobiological mechanisms This explains the therapeutic effect of tDCS. Better understanding can lead to development Transcranial direct current stimulation protocol More suitable for each patient and more effective.

24-month large-scale trial

The study will be conducted at six hospital centers over 24 months and involve 62 patients. These will be randomly distributed to receive:

i.e. 15 meetings tDCS activation,

Either Placebo treatment.

Each session lasts 20 minutes and involves electrodes placed in specific areas of the brain.

This ambitious project, supported by the GénoPsy network and co-financed by the National PHRC (DGOS) and the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, represents the hope of improving the quality of life of T21 patients through effective treatment of depression. By combining clinical studies with exploration of brain mechanisms, researchers hope to pave the way for new treatments that are more personal, more effective and better tolerated.

• source: Place Department of Psychiatry, Le Vinatier Metropolitan Lyon, July 18

1722573183
#Depression #syndrome #Treatable #noninvasive #brain #stimulation