Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Might Help Individuals Who Suffer From Depression One of the more crippling ailments around is depression. A person's personal and professional life can be turned upside down if they are suffering from depression. There are a number of treatment options available, depending on the type and severity of the disorder. The most typical treatment for depression is prescription medicine. But, a majority of people that suffer from depression find that the medication doesn't help with all of their symptoms or the negative effects are too much to deal with. For the treatment methods that some patients find dangerous or ineffective, they may chose an alternative choice known as transcranial magnetic stimulation. It's a relatively new approach that has been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is a completely non-invasive treatment that requires no surgery, sedation or medication. It won't have any effect on the rest of the body since it is a systemic procedure. The whole course of treatment is rather simple. It essentially provides excitement by way of a magnetic field to the nerve cells in the brain, particularly in the area of the brain that regulates and governs mood. The magnetic field that is produced is comparable to the kind you would find coming from an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging device. In the procedure an electromagnetic coil is put over the prefrontal cortex area of the brain on the left side of the head while the patient is fully conscious and lucid. This part of the brain is deemed accountable for mood control by neuroscience. The magnetic field will hone in on this one area and will have no other effect on the rest of the brain. Tiny electrical currents penetrate the brain several centimeters and brain cells in that immediate area are stimulated. What this essentially does is encourage the release of neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is an easy outpatient procedure under a psychiatrist’s supervision, but a few things will still need to be identified so the treatment can be administered safely. These determinations are often made in the first appointment. It needs to be verified that the magnetic coil is positioned over the correct area, and this is confirmed by a process called mapping. Mapping basically uses tiny pulses of electric current to map the cerebral cortex. A safe but effective dosage also needs to be determined, which can be done by continuously raising the strength of the electromagnets until the hands start to twitch. This point is called the motor threshold and is considered a point of reference for discovering the correct dose to start at. The dose can be increased or decreased over the course of the treatment, highly relevant to any side effects or symptoms that may result. There are mild side effects to transcranial magnetic stimulation which are common, and will typically subside after the first couple of treatments. The most common side effect is a headache and scalp discomfort. Patients might also experience temporary tingling or twitching of the muscles in their face because of the magnetic stimulation. Some patients may suffer from some more uncommon side effects, however this normally happens when the patient is dealing with other issues, like bipolar disorder or has problems with seizures. The doctor taking care of the patient is going to be aware of these conditions, along with any other medication that the patient is currently taking for their depression. Pregnant women are discouraged from getting this type of treatment. To figure out whether or not this treatment has any permanent side effects more studies
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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Might Help Individuals Who Suffer From Depression will have to be conducted, although it has shown to be a safe and effective method for treating depression. The transcranial magnetic stimulation provided by TMS Medical Associates of New York is practiced by a staff of nationally known doctors. Visit http://www.tmsproviders.com/ to learn more information about TMS Medical Associates of New York.
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