After more than 30 years living with treatment-resistant depression — 20+ medication trials, 3 courses of ECT, years of therapy, and two near-fatal suicide attempts — Mike (alias) had lost hope.
Then, everything changed.
During a precision brain surgery guided by decades of cortical stimulation trials and advanced fMRI research, we turned on his minimally invasive brain pacemaker (PACE). Mike cried — not from sadness, but from sudden, overwhelming relief.
Mapping the Brain, Restoring the Mind
Using Precision Functional Mapping (PFM), we identified the exact borders of Mike’s disrupted brain networks and placed stimulation electrodes with pinpoint accuracy.
Over the following weeks and months, we used adaptive Bayes Optimization to fine-tune his device settings at home — adjusting in real-time to what worked best for him.
The results were remarkable:
7 weeks → Suicidal thoughts gone
9 months → Depression in remission
30 months later → Still well and in remission
Mike’s story isn’t just a single success — it’s proof that personalized brain network maps combined with adaptive, chronic neuromodulation can transform care for depression and potentially other brain disorders.
Two Decades of Research, One Breakthrough Moment
What began as a NARSAD Junior Investigator Award received by Dr. Ziad Nahas (MnDRIVE Neuromodulation Researcher), 20 years ago at MUSC has evolved into a comprehensive program at the University of Minnesota. This achievement is the result of extraordinary collaboration between:
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Neurosurgery
Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR)
Non-invasive Neuromodulation Lab
Supported by CMS and MnDRIVE Brain Conditions
We’re now preparing for the next step — a collaboration with Turing Medical and a randomized controlled trial.
From Science to Hope
Our work bridges fundamental neuroscience and life-changing treatment. While the trials continue, we now have liftoff.
As Mike put it simply: “It feels good.”
