With mental health disorder diagnoses on the rise, especially in young adults, it is important to address possible stagnation of the ways in which they are treated. Psychotropic medications (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulants, etc.,) lack specificity, often possessing side-effects that can worsen overall patient mental health.
In response, alternative treatments using Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs), such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), have shown promise as new directions for treatment. This study explores the efficiency and risks of BCIs as treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD through compiled data, survey insights, peer-reviewed research, news articles, and word-of-mouth forums to analyze the strengths & weaknesses of BCIs in this context.
I also consulted Joao L. de Quevedo, MD, PhD; director of the Translational Psychiatry Program and the Treatment-Resistant Depression Program at the McGovern School of Medicine in Houston, Texas, on usage of BCIs in clinical practice.
So far, research suggests that modern BCIs show remarkable rates of effectiveness in treating seemingly intractable psychological disorders with little-to-no short or long-term adverse effects observed. Also, the rapid advancement of AI shows their potential to address obstacles in widespread BCI adoption, such as poor temporal and spatial resolution in brain-imaging techniques, slow decoding of neural signals, and accessibility.