Professor Alexander O’Neill Kerr, Consultant Adviser to SmartTMS, has been made Visiting Professor in Neuromodulation by the University of Northampton.
The appointment recognises Prof. O’Neill Kerr’s outstanding academic credentials and his unique involvement in establishing the provision of neuromodulation treatment in the UK. He has published and lectured nationally and internationally on Neuromodulation and ECT and is a leading authority on the subject.
Professor Alex O’Neill-Kerr
O’Neill Kerr was made Visiting Professor in Neuromodulation at Northampton University during 2017.
Alongside his role as Consultant Adviser to SmartTMS, he also has a number of roles and responsibilities both within Northamptonshire and nationwide, including:
- General Adult Psychiatrist at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Medical Director since 2005
- Head of The Centre for Neuromodulation delivering new treatments for depression such as rTMS, TBS, TDCS and ketamine infusion
- Runs a specialist clinic for complex Bipolar patients in Daventry
- Lead consultant for ECT and related physical treatments in Psychiatry
- Has nationally led on Nurse Administered ECT
- Royal College of Psychiatry committee member for ECT and related treatments
- Provides advice on rTMS, Nurse Administered ECT and ECT clinics
- Responsible for Research and Innovation, Medicines Management, Clinical Effectiveness and Quality.
What is Neuromodulation?
Neuromodulation is a relatively new science and medical treatment. The International Neuromodulation Society describes it as:
‘Neuromodulation is technology that acts directly upon nerves. It is the alteration—or modulation—of nerve activity by delivering electrical or pharmaceutical agents directly to a target area.’
The principle is to target electrical or magnetic stimulation or suppression directly to specific parts of the brain or to individual nerves in order to stimulate nerve activity. By direct treatment of the relevant area of the brain, neuromodulation has the potential to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a very exciting development within neuromodulation and is the only technique to be approved by NICE for the treatment of depression.
Professor Alex O’Neill Kerr has previously described rTMS as a real innovation:
“rTMS is a true technological breakthrough which offers patients a new treatment option that is both safe and effective. It is non-invasive and involves no medication, sedation, anesthesia or surgery making it a very attractive alternative to antidepressants. Apart from some discomfort at the stimulating site and occasional headaches there are no long-term side effects and it avoids the side-effects often associated with antidepressants.”
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Smart TMS
Smart TMS is a specialist provider of TMS treatment in London. rTMS offers medics a medication-free, non-invasive treatment which can work directly on the brain to ‘reset’ certain patterns. In the UK, this treatment is NICE approved for treating depression.
There is strong research to support rTMS for treating a host of other conditions too and Smart TMS in London is among very few in the UK using TMS technology to treat other conditions, including: Alcohol Dependence, Cocaine Dependence, Depersonalisation Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, PTSD.
The treatment is now available for private patients in London at Smart TMS, a specialist provider of the innovative treatment based at The Smart Clinics Brompton Cross (South Kensington).
CONTACT US
For any queries or to book an appointment, please contact us:
Tel: 0345 222 5678
Email: info@smarttms.co.uk