Treatment for severe depression can include a combination of medications, therapy sessions and specialized care.

Now, however, UCLA researchers are trying to expand those options. Patients may now be able to stimulate their brain with an implanted device.

Researchers with the Abbott TRANSCEND study designed a device that is surgically implanted in the brain for deep stimulation, a technique that targets specific areas of the brain that are underactivated in people with depression. Several sites around the United States – including UCLA – are evaluating its effectiveness as a treatment for major depressive disorder alongside medication.