Transcranial magnetic stimulation is gaining ground as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression.
By Kirsten Weir
February 2015, Vol 46, No. 2
Effectiveness of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Clinical Practice Post-FDA Approval in the United States:
Results Observed With the First 100 Consecutive Cases of Depression at an Academic Medical Center
K. Ryan Connolly, MD; Amanda Helmer, RN; Mario A. Cristancho, MD; Pilar Cristancho, MD; and John P. O’Reardon, MD
J Clin Psychiatry 2012;73(4):e567-e573
10.4088/JCP.11m07413
© Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or Neuromodulation for Depression
O’Reardon JP, Solvason HB, Janicak PG, et al.
Efficacy and safety of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the acute treatment of major depression: a multi-site randomized controlled trial. Biological Psychiatry 2007; 62, 1208-16. Demitrack, MA, Thase, ME.
Clinical significance of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of pharmaco-resistant depression: synthesis of recent data. Psychopharm Bull. 2009, 42(2): 5-38.
The system is currently being assessed for its use in stroke rehabilitation in the Phase 3 supplemental study 'E-FIT', involving 60 patients. The trial is expected to be complete in Q2 2018, allowing the Company to file for clearance of this indication.
In the past, the most common treatments for depression have been medication and/or psychotherapy. With TMS, psychotherapy is still encouraged because it can help people maintain mental health. However, unlike antidepressants, TMS has few if any side effects.
Major depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the U.S., affecting more than 16 million adults, 2015 figures show. Repetitive treatments using TMS have been shown to effectively treat patients with major depression for whom drugs have not worked.