According to an article published in ”The Times of India,” Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS or rTMS) is now being successfully used as a treatment for those suffering from major depression in India.
Neuropsychiatrists at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, India have begun using TMS for patients with depression as a substitute for antidepressants (which often do not work in treating major cases of depression) and electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT (which can sometimes cause severe side effects in patients). Unlike antidepressants or ECT, TMS has few side effects besides headache and minor discomfort at the treatment site.
According to the report, Dr. B N Gangadhar, head of psychiatry at NIMHANS, said that TMS is safe and has few side effects in comparison to other treatments: “Drugs have their side-effects – reduction of appetite, loss of weight, vascular headaches and sexual dysfunction in males are some common ones.”
TMS is a method of stimulating the brain using magnets, redirecting the brain’s magnetic field in such a way as to, in some cases evidenced in clinical studies, reduce major depression and symptoms of other illnesses, such as Parkinson’s Disease or Alzheimer’s Disease. According to Gandaghar, TMS stimulation is applied six to eight times per treatment session, and the number of sessions varies by the individual.
For further information on TMS as a depression treatment, and how you can help those who suffer from major depression, please visit The Elata Foundation’s website: http://www.elata.org. Elata is a 501(c)3 foundation, designated by the IRS, and all contributions are tax-deductible.
Filed under: TMS treatment, transcranial magnetic stimulation Tagged: | antidepressants, depression, depression treatment, india, major depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation
