How Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Can Treat Depression and Anxiety.
Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is also called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. DTMS is a non-invasive and non-drug treatment that is now highly used by the doctors for the treatment of depression and anxiety. We will see How Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Can Treat Depression and Anxiety.
In this type of treatment, brain stimulation is done by generating a magnetic field that produces the electric current at a specific part of the brain through electromagnetic induction. Or we can say that there is a coil that is placed on the scalp.
Through this coil, the current is passed which activates the neural circuits at the specific areas in the brain which as a result, improvement of the symptoms occurs.
In India, DTMS is present in selected hospitals for the treatment of psychiatric patients. The names of the hospitals are AIIMS, NIMHANS, and PGI-Chandigarh.
What Is Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (DTMS) or TMS Therapy?
In DTMS special combinations of coils are used which has the capability to penetrate the skull up to 4 cm in length, these coils are known as H coils. So, in DTMS different coils are designed in such a way that they can target different areas of the skull.
DTMS is used in those patients of depression and anxiety, especially those who are taken lots of medication in treatment and yet no relief in the symptoms occur.
As the DTMS H1 coil is FDA approved so it is considered as the safest treatment for depression and anxiety with fewer side effects in treatment-resistant patients.
Today DTMS along with depression and anxiety. It is used in other diseases for the treatment like:-
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Bipolar disorder
- Autism
- Major depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic pain
- Multiple sclerosis
- Smoking cessation
- Obsessive compulsion disorder
- Negative symptoms of schizophrenia
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Dementia
- Mild cognitive impairment
How Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Can Help?
For the patients who are diagnosed with depression and anxiety, your psychiatric doctor will first evaluate all your symptoms whether you need the DTMS treatment or not before he/she recommends this treatment to you.
Patient’s recommendation for the treatment of DTMS is based on-
- The history of the patient
- Patient previous medications
- Any risk for the procedure regarding with patient’s personal health.
After taking the above all, if the patient needed the treatment doctor will then approve with determining the frequency, duration, and location for the treatment.
For the treatment of DTMS, no anesthesia is required to the patient nor hospitalization is done, as this method is non-invasive and non-drug in nature. The patient during the treatment is awake and is alert.
How to collect the psychiatric history of a patient?
Psychiatric history is a record of the patient’s life.
The doctor should communicate empathy and respect to the patient. Collect demographic details of the patient such as age, sex, marital status, occupation, and religion.
It also includes a source of information and reliability. The chief complaint states the reason why the patient is consulting a psychiatrist.
History of present illness is most helpful in making a diagnosis. The nature of the onset of the symptoms, whether it is acute or gradual; the presence or absence of precipitating events; the course and duration of the illness (fluctuating, continuous or episodic); and the impact of the illness on the patient’s personal, occupational and social life.
The details of the nature of behavioral changes (e.g. irritability, bizarre behavior) and the presence of physical (headache, vomiting, and fever) and psychological symptoms (forgetfulness, personality changes, confusion) suggestive of organic brain damage should be looked into.
History of substance abuse or excessive consumption of prescription drugs (pain killers, cough syrup, etc.) should always be asked for.
Past both psychiatric and medical illnesses. Inquire into the previous history of similar episodes, hospitalization, medication, suicide attempts, and substance use.
General medical history like injury or trauma, reproductive history, history of neurological disorders, drug allergies and sensitivities.
A personal history to include the nature of delivery, milestones, presence of neurotic traits in childhood (thumb-sucking, nail-biting, bed-wetting), personality as a child, and behavior during schools should be asked for; behavior during adolescence, sexual knowledge, and practices, history of sexual abuse, marital history, other sexual relationships, and occupational history.