Clinical depression has been a significant concern in the psychiatric arena for a long duration owing to the failure of antidepressant administration approach given to its prevalence. Scores of patients inhibit varying responses to these methods of treatment with some showing poor response while others displaying total resistance. This necessitated the development of new treatment approaches for depression that would not react or produce other symptoms from the patient. , describe Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a noninvasive and easily tolerated method of adjusting the physiological characteristics of the cortical section of the brain. This approach was developed for adverse cases of clinical depression and for patients who had not responded to only one antidepressant. The technology uses a coil in which when placed near the head of a human, magnetic field penetrates the skull and soft tissue and induces an electric field in the cerebral cortex, which induces polarity to neurons in the cortex.
These alterations in the elements of the cerebral cortex (a section of the cerebrum) cause a shift in the metabolic waveforms of the cortical area as well as flow of blood in the region. , highlights that studies have shown that rTMS exposed to the left side of the brain was an efficient treatment for a proportion of patients with significant depressive episodes who had not responded to earlier antidepressant treatments. The psychological explanations on the relationship between depression and the structural anatomy of the brain as well as the ability of this system of treatment to directly affect a part of the brain makes it more instant and efficient. It has been proven that this method rapidly reduces symptoms of adverse clinical depression owing to its instant activity on affected regions of the brain.
, stated that rTMS is effective in 30% to 40% of individuals with treatment-resistant depression. This as compared to the percentage of patients showing resistance to antidepressants is a fairly considerable success in its administration. This treatment has been efficient in inducing shifts in the cerebral cortex of the human brain making it possible to determine the frequency to be induced (normally 10Hz) depending on the degree of depression and the patient’s past response to regular antidepressants. Treating of depression using rTMS has been described by various health practitioners as a pain free, non-invasive and highly efficient alternative to antidepressants. Moreover, the efficiency of this treatment is shown in the 1 of 3 patients who completely recover when administered with this treatment. In some patients, it largely contributes to the control of depressive conditions.
In conclusion, this mode of treatment is viable for the treatment and control of depressive cases in patients. Studies have sampled cases and analyzed statistical evidence on its use in America and its effectiveness has been established. However, it has varying side effects on its exposure to the patient’s brain activity. Patients subjected to this machine have shown mild headaches, nausea, weight gain, sexual dysfunctions and to a significant degree is induction of seizures. Owing to these side effects, there is still need for other treatment approaches to be developed to help patients who are resistant to antidepressants. Generally, the success of rTMS in the control and treating of depression is undisputable; various highlighted studies show its efficiency. Moreover, the approval of this method of treatment shows that it has been tested and approved for use in patients.
References
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