Cincinnati Edition: A new way to treat depression
UC researcher studies whether electrical stimulation of the spinal cord helps treat depression
A researcher at the University of Cincinnati is studying whether electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can be helpful in treating certain psychiatric conditions, like depression. Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, calls his research "neuroscience of the body in psychiatric disorders."
Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, a University of Cincinnati researcher, applies the electrodes to a patient. Photo/Colleen Kelley
"We think that a relatively small electrical current applied through the skin, which can barely be felt by the patient and will not hurt them, will moderate the brain-body communication neural pathways in the spinal cord and will impact certain regions of the brain," Romo-Nava, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at UC, associate chief research officer for the Research Institute at the Lindner Center of HOPE and a UC Health physician scientist, says.
Listen to the full Cincinnati Edition segment from WVXU.
This news was also featured in a WVXU, 91.7-FM report.
Featured photo of device used in the study by Colleen Kelley.
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