Cincinnati Edition: A new way to treat depression
UC researcher studies whether electrical stimulation of the spinal cord helps treat depression
A researcher at the University of Cincinnati is studying whether electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can be helpful in treating certain psychiatric conditions, like depression. Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, calls his research "neuroscience of the body in psychiatric disorders."
Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, a University of Cincinnati researcher, applies the electrodes to a patient. Photo/Colleen Kelley
"We think that a relatively small electrical current applied through the skin, which can barely be felt by the patient and will not hurt them, will moderate the brain-body communication neural pathways in the spinal cord and will impact certain regions of the brain," Romo-Nava, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at UC, associate chief research officer for the Research Institute at the Lindner Center of HOPE and a UC Health physician scientist, says.
Listen to the full Cincinnati Edition segment from WVXU.
This news was also featured in a WVXU, 91.7-FM report.
Featured photo of device used in the study by Colleen Kelley.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories.
Related Stories
UC researcher launches app to connect patients to lifesaving...
May 7, 2025
A cardiologist and researcher at UC’s College of Medicine joined the Venture Lab at the 1819 Innovation Hub to launch High Enroll, an app that links clinical trials with willing participants.
The burning river that fueled a US green movement
May 5, 2025
An article by the BBC takes the reader back to the late 18th and 19th centuries, when US prosperity was defined by the industrial revolution, a time with little regard for the pollutants that came with industrial expansion. UC's David Stradling, professor of history, cited as expert source in the article.
Growing heart failure epidemic calls for prioritizing primary...
May 5, 2025
A rapidly growing heart failure epidemic calls for prioritizing primary prevention, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in Circulation in April. The statement reviews the current evidence for predicting heart failure risk and offers risk-based strategies for heart failure prevention.