Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Preferred by Patients
A retrospective research study has found that patients would prefer rTMS treatment over ECT for treatment-resistant depression.
It also showed that they would be more likely to choose rTMS if it were covered by medical insurance.
What is ECT?
ECT is Electroconvulsive Therapy – a treatment used for severe depression which hasn’t been relieved using medication. The treatment involves placing electrodes on the scalp and delivering an electric current to cause a brief seizure in the brain. It is carried out under general anaesthetic.
What is rTMS?
rTMS is Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – also treatment used for severe depression which hasn’t been relieved using medication. The treatment involves delivering bursts of highly concentrated magnetic field using a special machine. The treatment requires no anaesthetic or sedation.
Research Study
The study was carried out by a team from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv University. They assessed data comparing 41 patients who met study eligibility criteria for repetitive TMS (rTMS) and 40 patients referred for ECT.
Key findings were:
- ECT was marginally more effective than rTMS for treatment resistant depression, although the difference may not be statistically significant
- Side-effects were twice as common with ECT, with 60% experiencing side effects (short and medium-term), with memory loss the most common. By comparison, 30% of the TMS group reported minor, short-term effects such as headache during treatment, which went after a few hours
- The major disadvantage of ECT is the stigma attached to it. While it may be medically considered safe, it sounds very unappealing and has very negative associations
- When patients in this study were asked which treatment they would prefer, there was a preference for rTMS
RTMS Treatment, UK
rTMS is NICE approved for treating severe depression in the UK, if applied to relevant cortical regions.
There is relatively little availability on the NHS, but treatment is available for private patients in centres such as Smart TMS, London.
SMART TMS CLINICS
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a technological breakthrough in the treatment of depression. Research is now showing potential for treating a variety of other conditions too, without the need for medication, by working directly on the relevant area of the brain.
The treatment is now available in London, based at The Smart Clinics Brompton Cross (South Kensington).
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