Page 6D
Jolted out of major depression 'Pacemaker' sends shocks to the brain to lift
mood
By Robert Davis
USA TODAY
Lauri Sandoval went from doing public relations to cleaning dog cages for a
living. From a size 4 dress to a size 18. And from a life with dignity to a
prisoner of the mind.
The cause of her two-year slide: severe depression.
''The depression got so bad, I had to resign my job,'' says Sandoval, 42, of
Santa Fe. ''I wasn't able to focus, and I was making a lot of mistakes.''
But today, Sandoval is breaking free of her disease with the help of an
experimental device that is zapping her depression into submission.
Every three minutes, the pacemaker-like gadget that surgeons implanted in
her
shoulder sends a 30-second blast of electricity into her brain. These
electrical currents have eased her depression.
Full text:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010613/3396340s.htm
