Photo: Faith Ninivaggi
UMass Chan Medical School is one of four national sites participating in a clinical trial funded by the Department of Defense to evaluate a noninvasive, drug-free therapy for patients with treatment resistant postpartum depression.
The therapy, called SAINT neuromodulation therapy, is developed by Magnus Medical. It has been FDA-cleared for the treatment of major depressive disorder. In a previous double-blind controlled study, SAINT brought rapid remission to almost 80 percent of participants with major depression.
“The study data are very promising for a subset of women with severe depression, and this therapy could provide relief for postpartum patients who are unable to find a treatment that works for them,” said Kimberly A. Yonkers, MD, the Katz Family Chair in Psychiatry, and chair and professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, who is the lead investigator of UMass Chan’s trial site.
Postpartum depression affects about one in eight women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and symptoms can emerge during pregnancy or in the months after childbirth. Dr. Yonkers said current treatments, including antidepressants or psychotherapy, can take weeks to work and may pose challenges for women who are breastfeeding.
“Postpartum depression can be devastating. A treatment that works in days rather than weeks could be life-changing for families,” Yonkers said.
The therapy uses brain imaging to target mood-related regions for focused neurostimulation. Participants first undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain to identify specific areas for individualized treatment. The participant then receives magnetic pulses to the brain in 10-minute increments for 10 sessions per day over five days in an outpatient setting. Participants undergoing the SAINT treatment may respond in a week or less and can continue any ongoing treatment as long as it does not change and the magnetic stimulation treatment can be added on.
The new multisite trial will enroll up to 192 women ages 18 to 45 who have been diagnosed with a major depressive episode with peripartum onset, the technical diagnosis for postpartum depression. UMass Chan will enroll 85 participants.
