Focused radiation, no incision: radiosurgery eases severe

Stereotactic radiosurgical capsulotomy—brain treatment that uses focused radiation instead of an incision, drill, or implanted hardware—was reported at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Boston as a potential option for severe, treatment-resistant depression. Researchers presented results from a prospective observational study of 20 patients treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The technique targets the anterior limb of the internal capsule with a linear accelerator delivering cross-fired beams converging on a millimeter-scale target. Lead author Dr. Mohamed Khattab of the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital said the goal is to interrupt a mood-related circuit while sparing surrounding tissue. The team expanded the approach after a 2022 pilot of three patients showed reduced suicidal thinking without cognitive decline or neurologic side effects.