Grant: CIHR Fellowship - PA: PPHE Research - General

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental illness affecting 280 million people globally. Conventional treatments for MDD mainly target emotional symptoms but leave at least 30% of patients without relief. This underscores the urgent need for alternative treatments. Many existing options are hospital-based, creating a significant burden for both patients and healthcare providers. This project aims to develop an innovative treatment for MDD that could enhance individual lives and benefit the healthcare system. We will explore a new neurostimulation method called Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), which uses small, safe electrical currents to stimulate facial muscles responsible for positive expressions. This approach uniquely targets the physical symptoms of MDD, which affect about two-thirds of patients. If proven feasible and effective, FES could potentially be developed for self-administration by patients in the future. Research has shown that stimulating facial muscles can improve mood and alleviate depressive symptoms. Our study seeks to expand on these findings by testing FES in a larger group of individuals with MDD. The proposed research will involve 60 participants receiving 20 in-person FES sessions over two weeks. Throughout the study, we will regularly assess their depression symptoms and monitor their sleep quality, anxiety levels, and overall well-being to understand how this treatment impacts their lives. If successful, FES could offer an effective, safe, and convenient treatment option for those struggling with MDD, especially for individuals who have not found relief through traditional therapies. The possibility of at-home administration would empower individuals to manage their depression daily. On a broader scale, implementing FES could help reduce the overall burden of depression in the community, streamline healthcare by minimizing the need for frequent doctor visits, lower costs, and free up resources for other patients.