A startup has put electrodes in a patient’s skull to treat depression

The trial, the first of its kind using implants in the bone of the skull to treat depression, represents a step forward for scientists’ efforts to treat mood disorders with hardware. — Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

This summer, doctors in St Louis shaved away a small part of a person’s skull and replaced it with electrodes. The technology is intended to alleviate the patient’s severe depression by sending tiny electric pulses to the brain.

The startup behind the surgery is Inner Cosmos, one of a growing cadre of tech companies working on implanted devices for the brain. The trial, the first of its kind using implants in the bone of the skull to treat depression, represents a step forward for scientists’ efforts to treat mood disorders with hardware.