AUSTIN (KXAN)- Experts estimate that treatment-resistant depression (TRD) impacts about 2.8 million Americans annually, and a groundbreaking implantable device may offer new hope. Depression affects about one in six people, and about 16 million Americans deal with depression each year. Depression can be a life-threatening condition that affects not only the individual but family and friends as well. Depression is known to be mostly treatable, but unfortunately, not all Americans respond well to treatment options like therapy or medication. Individuals who do not respond to depression treatments are known to have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). What is Treatment-Resistant Depression? TRD can be different among many patients, but the majority of the time it is when a patient has tried two or more depression treatment options and has seen no positive results, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). "Treatment-resistant depression is a narrower subset of depression affecting about 3 million people across the country every year. The hallmark feature of treatment-resistant depression is that a person has failed multiple attempts at treatment and is continuing to experience the symptoms of it despite efforts to treat it," said Greg Hansch the Executive Director of NAMI. What causes TRD? According to NAMI, TRD is complex and hard to understand but the following could be the reason some patients have TRD; Family history Genes that respond poorly to medication Alcohol or marijuana use Side effects from medications Any illnesses that cause depressive moods Personal or home stressors What are today's treatments for TRD? Brian Kopell, M.D. Director of the Center for Neuromodulation/ Movement Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center, said treatment options that exist today for TRD are trying different medication options, talk therapy, ketamine, or TMS therapy. NAMI also suggests a few methods that could be done from home like avoiding drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, exercising, and following a daily routine. Latest implantable device treatment clinical trial Mount Sinai Health System announced that the first patient has been implanted with Abbott’s deep brain stimulation (DBS) device as part of the TRANSCEND clinical trial. A group of leading health experts from the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, have created a clinical trial that possibly gives TRD patients another option for treatment. The study consists of a deep-brain stimulation (DBS) device, often described as a pacemaker for the brain. Doctor Kopell said much like a pacemaker works to send electrical pulses to the heart, a DBS sends weak electrical pulses to certain parts of the brain to relieve symptoms. Mount Sinai Health System announced that the first patient has been implanted with Abbott’s deep brain stimulation (DBS) device as part of the TRANSCEND clinical trial. "I think that if we are successful with this trial, it will drive home the message that major depressive disorder is a neurological condition, much the same way that we think of MS or Parkinson's Disease is a neurological condition, and hopefully remove the stigma away from patients and their families as they undergo treatment for this very debilitating disorder," Doctor Kopell said. The Mount Sinai Health System announced it has implanted this DBS device in its first clinical trial patient, one step closer to creating a new treatment option for all TRD patients. ...read more read less