A Brain Implant for Depression Is About to Be Tested in Humans

Motif Neurotech says the FDA cleared its first-in-human trial of a skull-implanted device for severe depression.

The blueberry-sized implant delivers electrical stimulation to a brain network tied to mood and can be used at home after a brief outpatient procedure.

If effective, it could give patients with treatment-resistant depression a more convenient alternative to clinic-based brain stimulation.

The decision adds to growing momentum in brain-computer interface and neuromodulation technologies, including work from Neuralink, Paradromics and Synchron.