Interventional Psychiatry

Neuromodulation room

Innovative Treatments

Our researchers are dedicated to advancing the field of interventional psychiatry.
Our Work
Interventional Psychiatry is a treatment approach that uses technology or medications to directly or rapidly alter nerve activity in the brain to alleviate psychiatric symptoms, particularly for those resistant to traditional treatments. By investigating the mechanisms, effectiveness, and safety of these interventions, our experts aim to expand treatment options, improve patient outcomes, and provide new insights into the biological basis of mental illness.

Education

The U-M Medical School Department of Psychiatry is committed to educating clinicians, trainees, patients, and families about neuromodulation therapies. By sharing up-to-date research findings and clinical advancements, we help raise awareness and understanding of these innovative treatments, their appropriate use, and the science supporting their effectiveness. 

Training opportunities are available for healthcare professionals interested in gaining practical experience with neuromodulation therapies and learning about patient selection and outcome optimization.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Training Program

We offer a thorough one-week training experience for those that are new to ECT.

Patient Care

We emphasize both effectiveness and safety, integrating innovative treatments with compassionate clinical care to address the needs of individuals who have not responded to standard therapies. Our clinicians use different interventional approaches for patients with severe and treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions. Those include ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), and ketamine / esketamine (ketamine is given via an IV; esketamine is given as an intra-nasal spray). 
Interventional approaches that are still in development include DCS (direct current stimulation), specific digital tools (specialized apps for depression), and psychedelic agents (such as psilocybin). 
Together, these interventions offer new approaches to treatment beyond traditional psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.

Research

Our researchers are dedicated to advancing the science of neuromodulation, which involves innovative treatments that use electrical or magnetic currents to directly influence brain activity in individuals with severe psychiatric disorders. While traditional psychiatric approaches have focused on medications that alter chemical messengers in the brain, this research explores how targeted brain stimulation may offer new hope for those with conditions that are resistant to conventional treatments.

Our faculty conduct research on several brain stimulation therapies to enhance care for individuals with severe psychiatric illness. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, our experts are working to expand the understanding of brain stimulation technologies and improve care for patients with severe psychiatric disorders.

  • The Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) program studies predictors of treatment response—such as sleep and stress hormone patterns—to optimize outcomes, safety, and patient selection for this highly effective and rapidly acting therapy.
  • The Ketamine program administers both IV ketamine via infusions, or intra-nasal esketamine (Spravato), for the treatment of depression and related disorders, with a research focus on clinical efficacy and the development of biomarkers of response to treatment. 
  • Researchers have also advanced Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a noninvasive method that uses magnetic fields to influence brain activity, with ongoing studies examining its optimal use for depression that does not respond to standard treatments.

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Program Leadership
See all Psychiatry faculty Stephan F. Taylor

Stephan F Taylor
Daniel E Offutt III Professor of Psychiatry
Professor of Psychiatry and Chair
Department of Psychiatry
Medical School
Daniel F. Maixner

Daniel F Maixner
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of ECT
Medical School
portrait of Sagar Parikh

Sagar V Parikh, MD, FRCPC
John F Greden Professor of Depression and Clinical Neuroscience
Professor of Psychiatry
Program Director, Unipolar, Psychiatry, Medical School
Professor of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health

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