Neurostar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Treatment for Depression
Steve Amoia
October 21, 2008
"You sit in what looks like a dentist's chair and a psychiatrist places a metal coil against your head. Rapid magnetic pulses penetrate your scalp and skull and produce a mild electrical current in the left prefrontal cortex of your brain. You feel a tickling sensation and hear a loud tapping sound. The treatment, known as TMS, for transcranial magnetic stimulation, lasts about 40 minutes and is done daily for four to six weeks. If you're suffering from major depression, you could start feeling better within a few weeks."
Source: Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2008, "A New Approach to Treating Intractable Cases of Depression" by Melinda Beck.
An Alternative to Traditional Therapies
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a new approach to treat the debilitating illness of depression. According to Neuronetics, makers of the Neurostar device, which has been approved by the FDA, these are the following benefits of this new therapy:
- No seizures.
- No systemic side effects.
- No weight gain.
- No sexual dysfunction.
- No sedation.
- No nausea.
- No dry mouth.
- No adverse effect on cognition.
- The most common adverse event related to treatment was scalp pain or discomfort.
- Less than 5% discontinuation due to adverse events.
Source: "Neuronetics TMS Therapy."
Expert Opinion
Dr. Mark George, of the Medical University of South Carolina, is a psychiatrist and early pioneer of TMS treatment. " 'Imagine coming upon a snake: Your limbic system registers it as a threat. Then your cortex recognizes it as harmless and quiets down the response. That balance disappears in depression. With TMS we can tickle the cortex and over time restore the balance.' Talk therapy can sometimes do that too, he notes."
Source: Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2008, "A New Approach to Treating Intractable Cases of Depression" by Melinda Beck.
Caveats
TMS should only be contemplated after one or two unsuccessful trials with drug and/or talk therapies. According to Ms. Beck, it is not yet covered by insurance plans, and its availability is limited. Cost for the complete treatment process has not yet been determined; however, Ms. Beck noted a figure of approximately $6,000. She also documented the efficacy of TMS: "In a clinical trial of 325 patients at 23 sites in the U.S., Canada and Australia, only 24% improved on TMS, but that was twice the response to the placebo."
Eleven Minute Video Describes How it Works
Video from Neuronetics
For Further Information
Neuronetics Web Site
Wall Street Journal Health Journal
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