Deep brain stimulation of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule for treatment-resistant depression: possibilities, limits and future perspectives

The authors of this study (1), who have a strong tradition of well-designed studies treating mental disorders by deep brain stimulation (DBS) attempt to find out whether the beneficial effects of DBS of the ventral part of the anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC) for treatment resistant depression (TRD) are due to placebo or a real effect.