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Article: Body electric; Implantable devices that emit small bursts of electricity soon could be used to treat depression, obesity and a host of other medical conditions.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- May 8, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Janet Moore; Staff Writer
Chris North spent most of her young life struggling with bulimia. She tried drugs. She tried psychotherapy. Neither provided much relief.
Then North, now 39, enrolled in a University of Minnesota study in which researchers tried something completely different. Her treatment? A pacemaker-like device implanted in her chest.
Instead of delivering tiny, rapid-fire pulses of electricity to the heart, the device targets the central nervous system. It's one of a new breed of options that could offer hope to millions who have exhausted other medical treatments for conditions as diverse as Alzheimer's disease, obesity, ...