Does Clearing Plaque From Brain Artery Ease Depression?
TUESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — Inserting a stent to open the main artery to the brain may help to reduce depression associated with a condition called carotid stenosis, a new Austrian study suggests. But experts differ about whether the beneficial effect had a purely physical cause — better blood flow to the brain — or whether there was a strong psychological factor involved. The Austrian physician who led the study leans toward a physical explanation. “Our findings suggest that opening the carotid artery and restoring blood flow to the brain via a minimally invasive technique under local anesthesia is associated with significant reduction in depressive symptoms,” Dr. Wolfgang Mlekusch, a specialist in clinical angiography and internal medicine at Vienna General Hospital and Medical School, said in a statement. Mlekusch was lead author of the report that was published in the August issue of the journal Radiology. But Dr. Michael M. Dake, chairman of the department of radiology
