A new treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was approved by the FDA in October 2008. The treatment involves focusing electromagnetic pulses on the area of the brain that is believed to control depression. The idea, according to Dr. Och, president and medical director of Island Counseling Center in Worcester, is to attempt to get some of the benefits of electro-convulsive therapy, without the side-effects that come with inducing seizures in a patient under general anesthesia.
In TMS, a curved device attached to a metallic arm is placed against the left side of the head, and the patient looks at a dot on the far wall. For about 37 minutes, the magnet is activated, making 6 loud pinging sounds, then pausing for about minute, and then sounding again. The patient wears earplugs to muffle the sound.
This treatment has been effective for treating people with serious depression who have not had positive results with other treatments.
“Of the 5 patients we’ve treated, 4 have had great success, and have become well enough to stop treatments,” Dr. Och said. The treatment did not alleviate depression for the fifth patient, but it also didn't have any negative side effects.
Dr. Och said Island Counseling is currently considering using the TMS machine to potentially treat other psychiatric illnesses, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The TMS treatment has only been FDA approved for depression, he noted, so patients would have to understand the risks before treatment.
Source: Telegram.com
More information and resources regarding biomagnetic therapy.
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