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Editor: Marc Jay Bern
Profession: Defective Medical Device Lawyer

Category: Medtronic News

Medtronic currently markets deep brain stimulation implants that help suppress tremors in patients that suffer from brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Medtronic is launching a new study to determine if the same therapy can work for patients who suffer from depression, epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"We continue to support research in deep brain stimulation for depression, and we intend to initiate a clinical study this calendar year," said Medtronic spokeswoman Cindy Resman.

Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from depression that does not respond to psychotherapy, medications, and in some cases, electroconvulsive therapy. The new study will help to determine whether brain stimulation can be sustainable therapy within these patients.

Medtronic and the other leading pacemaker companies, in the United States, are each developing treatments that essentially take pacemaker therapy used on hearts and apply it to different areas of the nervous system.