TMS, or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, is a novel treatment for severe depressive symptoms. It is a technique that involves transmitting stimulating electric charges to a specific region of the brain to renew the nerve cells in that location and to induce changes in the way those dormant nerves operate. This is a novel approach to treating depression that is significantly less dangerous than electroconvulsive therapy. This therapy is typically administered to a patient who exhibits significant mental depression symptoms and has failed to react to all other forms of treatment. However, it also aids in the alleviation and improvement of symptoms associated with various neurological and psychiatric diseases such as strokes, migraines, and depressive symptoms, and in this instance, the treatment has a more beneficial outcome.
Depression is a psychological disorder that requires prompt medical intervention. If not treated promptly, it may reveal itself over time as a significant psychological condition. Other antidepressant therapies and medications can be used to treat depression, but their long-term use has a variety of adverse side effects such as weight gain, memory loss, and seizure. This type of side effect and harm to one's health can be avoided by choosing TMS.
This is a noninvasive procedure, as it does not require the therapist to sedate the patient, who remains cognizant and aware throughout. Additionally, it does not require anesthesia, making it easier for the therapist to execute. It is readily accomplished in the doctor's chamber with the assistance of the machinery that administers this therapy. The therapist installs a magnetic coil on the patient's scalp, which corresponds directly to the portion of our brain that regulates our mood swings. By applying a changing magnetic field to the damaged area of the brain, the coil promotes the induction of weak electric currents.
These electromagnetic waves function as a forceful prod to the dormant nerve cells that contribute to mental lethargy. They act on certain nerves in a specific way to rouse them from their slumber and activate them, altering the patient's mental state and behavior. Unlike ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) and antidepressant medication, which affect the entire brain and may cause some undesirable side effects, this provides a highly localized treatment facility through which only the part of the brain responsible for mood changes can be addressed, leaving the rest of the brain unaffected.
Patients do not have to endure lengthy sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy. They take approximately 45 minutes and are scheduled five days a week for a period of four to six weeks. Since this is a fresh new treatment facility, all of its potential adverse effects are unknown. Several have been reported, including the following:
1. Suffering from pain in the area of the scalp where the coil is inserted.
2. Suffering from headache.
3. Vertigo
4. Facial and cranial nerve tingling.
In the most extreme circumstances, adverse effects have included the following:
1. Seizure
2. Exacerbation of mania in persons with bipolar disorder
3. Hearing loss if the ears are not securely covered before the treatment begins, as the coil creates a loud clicking noise.
4. Occasionally, the coil may overheat, resulting in skin damage.
Before undergoing this treatment, the patient should advise the therapist of any special physiological conditions he may have, as it is not appropriate for people who are-
1. Pregnant or intending to get pregnant
2. Does he already have a medical device implanted in his body, such as a pacemaker?
3. Taking medication and taking supplements regularly. Additionally, it would be prudent to advise the doctor if the patient has a history of mania, seizures, or surgery.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, is a relatively new addition to the list of therapies that has enormous potential for alleviating symptoms of depression and other forms of neurosis. However, because it is so new, its procedure is currently being studied, examined, and scrutinized by experts to determine whether it also has any long-term negative side effects.
