Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a type of brain stimulation therapy. EMT is an FDA-approved treatment technique for those struggling with major depressive disorder (MDD). One machine uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate the prefrontal cortex region of the brain, which is underactive in patients suffering from depression. More moderate than other options, the risk of side effects from the use of EMT is lower than with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and pharmacotherapy.
We currently offer EMT to adult patients (18 years and older) who have not responded to standard treatments for major depression. These people have what is called treatment-resistant depression (DRD). If you are interested in EMT, you will meet with one of our doctors to carefully review your medical history, current symptoms, and past treatments. Antidepressant medications and psychotherapy have helped relieve symptoms of depression in millions of people.
However, these methods do not bring relief for everyone. Some people experience intolerable side effects from medications, and for others, they don't work at all.
Transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS) is a drug-free, non-invasive alternative treatment for major depressive disorder. Studies have shown that up to 60% of people with treatment-resistant depression experience improvement in their symptoms with EMT therapy.And for about a third of them, TMS completely eliminates their symptoms. The results don't last forever, but even a few months of relief can make a significant difference to a person's quality of life. Unlike ECT, RTMS does not require sedation or general anesthesia, so patients are fully awake and aware during treatment. The most common side effect, reported in about half of patients treated with EMR, is headaches.
TMS is being studied extensively in all disorders and even disciplines in the hope that it will evolve into new treatments for neurological disorders, pain management and physical rehabilitation, in addition to psychiatry. Patients with any type of non-removable metal on the head (with the exception of braces or dental fillings) should not receive RTM. This has less to do with actual treatment and more to do with getting your insurance company approved for EMT. Studies have shown that repetitive TMS is twice as effective at improving symptoms of major depression than antidepressant medications and psychotherapy.
However, most patients with TMS feel better for many months after discontinuation of treatment, and the average duration of response is just over a year. According to the researchers, EMT normalized the connections between the parts of the brain involved in gait freezing. The EMT physician then measures the patient's motor threshold, delivering several brief pulses. Thousands of studies have shown that TMS has a success rate of at least 68%, compared to just 37.5% for drugs.
In simple terms, TMS stimulates specific areas of the brain to provide relief and break the cycle of depression. Maybe they only partially worked or didn't work at all, so now you're considering transcranial magnetic stimulation or EMT. RTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) has been shown to cause changes in neuronal activity in regions of the brain involved in mood regulation, such as the prefrontal cortex.
