Independent research indicates the value of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating depression with few side effects. This was reported in the Digital Journal on May 5, 2010 by Joan Firstenberg.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, without any industry support, shows that magnet therapy can relieve depression and does so with few side effects.
Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, associate director for treatment research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says this means that depression patients now have a new treatment option.
What is TMS Therapy?
TMS Therapy involves the use of very short pulses of magnetic energy to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. First used in 1985, TMS Therapy has been used by researchers around the world to help understand the function of different parts of the brain. Neuronetics’ pivotal trial was not the first to investigate the potential antidepressant effects of TMS Therapy, but it was the first one to lead to FDA approval of a TMS device for treatment of outpatients with depression. Results from other trials have encouraged researchers to further investigate TMS Therapy as a treatment for major depression and many studies are still ongoing around the world.
The short pulses of magnetic energy produced by NeuroStar® TMS Therapy System are aimed by the treating clinician at the structures in the brain thought to control mood. The left prefrontal cortex is used to access these structures non-invasively from outside the brain with TMS Therapy. The unique nature of magnetic fields allows them to pass through the skull and into the cortex without being distorted in any way. This facilitates a very focal type of stimulation, minimizing stimulation of brain tissue not involved in mood. Once inside the brain, the dynamic (rapidly changing) nature of the magnetic pulses induces electrical charges to flow. The amount of electricity created in the brain is very small, and cannot be felt by the patient. When in the correct orientation relative to brain cells (neurons), these very small electric charges can cause the neurons to fire or become active. (Figure 3) The objective of TMS Therapy is to stimulate (or activate) brain cells. Patients remain awake and alert during a TMS Therapy procedure.