The story, presented in a six-part series, offers an unflinching view of the devastation caused by severe depression, and how an unconventional, experimental brain surgery may hold new clues about how to treat it. Stories that have been written about this approach, called deep brain stimulation, often focus on the science. For this project, we expand that view and focus on the people who volunteered for the surgery, and their loved ones, whose lives have also been changed by this disease.
Through lengthy interviews and in-person visits, we tell the stories of four people who had electrodes permanently implanted in their brains in an effort to ease their unrelenting depression. we describe their darkest times, their motivations, and their experiences after their surgeries. These range from mundane annoyance about charging their devices to philosophical thoughts about how our emotions contribute to our sense of self and what it means to be human. Sometimes it’s the small, everyday joys that hold the most meaning, my sources say: the scent of a candle or the taste of bacon or the goosebumps raised by a beautiful song.
Along with these compelling glimpses of what life with a brain implant is like, the story provides clear and accessible descriptions of the science of depression and the scientific rationale for using small, steady jolts of electricity to repair neural circuits in the brain. Coupled with science is the historical context that situates today’s research, including a discussion of why several key clinical trials failed. By including those ups and downs, the piece grounds readers with a deeper view of the medical research enterprise, and highlights how clinical progress is rarely smooth.
