TMS is indicated for depression, but may have many future uses

May 12, 2010 - PRLog -- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy is shown to drastically improve symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder for those not getting satisfactory results from traditional anti-depressant treatments.  Using highly focused MRI –strength pulses, TMS stimulates the left prefrontal cortex of the brain. This stimulation delivers magnetic pulses into the brain to excite the neurons believed to be associated with mood. This treatment is an acute treatment given over 4-6 weeks, five times a week. Each session is 40 minutes on an outpatient basis. TMS is non-invasive and non-systemic and does not require sedation.  There are no negative side effects to TMS, like those seen in traditional anti-depressant regimens. TMS is a safe and highly effective procedure that can improve depression symptoms into remission.
   As shown in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, TMS is also being studied for many other mental health conditions.  TMS is shown to have promising results with treating negative symptoms of Schizophrenia. Negative symptoms include blunted affect, apathy, poverty of speech, and social withdrawal.  Anti-psychotic medications have been shown to have limited efficacy in treating the negative symptoms of Schizophrenia. In most patients exhibiting negative symptoms of Schizophrenia, activation of the prefrontal cortex is impaired. Negative symptoms appear to be associated with hypo activity in this region. By stimulating the prefrontal cortex using TMS Therapy, evidence has shown that this can activate the neurons in this area and decrease negative symptoms of Schizophrenia. Research is still being done in this area but shows promising results.  Follow up EEG studies found significant cortical activation upon the improvement of negative symptoms showing the efficacy of TMS Treatment for Schizophrenia.
   Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive disorders are also being studied for benefits of TMS.  Many Psychiatrists in China are looking into adaptations with the TMS Therapy to treat OCD and Anxiety.  The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry shows adaptations in the intensity of traditional TMS Treatment to help benefit patients suffering from these conditions. By using lower intensity sessions on the right side of the prefrontal cortex, studies have shown improvement in anxiety symptoms. Research is still being done in these areas.
   TMS Therapy is the only FDA –approved treatment for Depression that is non-systemic and non-invasive. It is an alternative for those suffering from Major Depressive Disorder that are not achieving satisfactory results from their current treatment regimens. It can safely be combined with naturopathic medicine as it is a scientific, yet holistic approach to treatment. Research continues to provide more validation for this treatment and is expanding to other clinical mental health conditions as well.

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www.SouthShoreTMS.com
South Shore Neuropsychiatric Center is dedicated to treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders and offers TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)