The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast ProLivRx: How it Works
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Jan 26, 2026 Linda Carpenter, psychiatry professor and chief of the Mood Disorders Program at Butler Hospital/Brown, explains a new FDA-approved device for hard-to-treat depression. She describes how peripheral sensory nerves are stimulated and contrasts this approach with TMS. The conversation covers device origins, clinical trial results, and safety in clear, concise terms.
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Active Sensory Input Boosts Mood
- Rich sensory input (touch, complex terrain, pottery) improves mood and development more than passive stimuli like videos.
- Active tactile experiences engage brain networks and may reduce depression risk tied to sensory deprivation.
Sensory Loss Links To Higher Depression Risk
- Sensory deprivation and loss (hearing, smell, vision) associate with about double the rate of depression.
- The olfactory system's links to memory and hippocampus deepen emotional experience, so loss feels isolating.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Reaches Mood Circuits
- ProLivRx stimulates the occipital and trigeminal sensory nerves to modulate brain circuits indirectly.
- This 'electrical massage' likely affects brainstem and cortical regions that regulate mood.