CTV, Canada’s top TV network, investigated the use of rTMS – repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – for treating depression.
Depression is said to affect around 8% of Canadians at some point and treatment is a challenge, with only a third of patients improving after the first round of treatment with medication and some failing to improve on any prescriptions or suffering greatly from the side-effects of the drugs.
Three-minutes of theta-burst therapy can help conquer depression
Video
The video investigation demonstrated the potential of TMS for treating the difficult condition with just a 3 minute burst of low-frequency theta-burst magnetic treatment, which works directly on the brain’s neurons.
The presenter in the video explained:
“Doctors think this treatment works faster than previous methods beacause it delivers the same frequency used by brain cells to communicate with each other.”
The doctor explained:
“This treatment is about as good as anti-depressants, probably somewhat better.”
rTMS was used with a patient who had long-term depression with 3 minutes of theta-burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Gail Bellissimo explains the background of long-term depression:
“I tried just about every drug out there, antidepressant of all kinds.
“They just either didn’t work for me or the side effects were too much for me to take.”
Driving home after just one 3 minute treamtent, the effects were noticeable. Gail said:
“It was so unnerving at first.
“At first it was like, ‘Wow, is this what it feels like to be normal?‘”
SMART TMS CLINICS
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a technological breakthrough in the treatment of depressionwith a variety of further potential treatment applications.
The treatment is now available in London, based at The Smart Clinics Brompton Cross (South Kensington).
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