One of the researchers involved in the recent large-scale study of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has elaborated on the study.

Dr. John P. O’Reardon of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation study he conducted: “TMS provides a well-tolerated treatment option to patients whose depression is otherwise treatment resistant. Since TMS is administered via the scalp and therefore goes directly to the brain, it allows the patient to avoid bodily side effects such as weight gain, sedation and/or sexual function.”

The first large-scale study on the effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on depression, conducted jointly by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Rush University, found that TMS is a safe and effective treatment for depression.

The results will be published December 1 by the journal Biological Psychiatry. The editor of the neuroscience journal, John Krystal, told the AFP: “This study provides new support for the efficacy of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as a ’stand alone’ treatment for depression… This finding could be particularly important for patients who do not tolerate antidepressant medications, for whom they are not safe, or who have not benefited from other alternative treatments.”

This study differed from previous TMS studies in that it used larger doses of energy and utilized a larger number of participants. Researchers found that among patients who received TMS treatment as opposed to a placebo, rates of remission were reported to be twice as high– which is also higher than rates of remission reported in clinical trials for anti-depressants.

Researchers noted that most of the participants in their study had failed to respond to anti-depressants in previous attempts at treatment. With more than 300 patients at over 23 sites in the United States, Canada, and Australia, the study experienced a low drop-out rate among participants, an indication that TMS is well-tolerated by patients.

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.

In a recently published Daily Mail article, Professor Tony Barker, called “the country’s leading expert in TMS” by the British newspaper, explains how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) works and its efficacy in treating symptoms of depression. Barker explains that the procedure could “revolutionise” the treatment of many diseases, including depression and stroke.

Dr. Barker compares TMS treatment favorably to Electric Shock Treatment (ECT), which has served as an effective treatment for severe depression for a number of years but also has many negative side effects: “The problem in the past with ECT is that the hard bone of the skull stops a great deal of the electricity passing through, so you have to use a very high dose to have any effect… This can be extremely painful. With TMS, the coil of wire transmits the electricity much more directly into a specific part of the brain affected, and is neither invasive nor painful.”

Professor Barker is a clinical scientist at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

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.