For the longest time, people with severe depression have proven resistant to tried-and-tested treatment methods, like taking antidepressants (Prozac, Wellbutrin, etc.) and psychotherapy, to manage and treat their condition. Early last year, the U.S. FDA approved of the use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implants for the treatment of non-treatment responsive depression. VNS implants is a treatment used for epilepsy patients and is implanted by means of invasive surgery.

But now, the government has approved of the first non-invasive brain stimulator that helps treat treatment-resistant depression. This new treatment is called the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It beams magnetic pulses through the skull, triggering small electrical charges to spark brain cells back to life.

This is quite a convenient alternative as opposed to undergoing invasive surgery or painful shock therapy. It is important for people with depression to know that this treatment is not for everyone. The FDA approved Neuronetics Inc.'s Neurostar therapy specifically for sufferers who've had to no relief from their first antidepressants. This also helps depression sufferers avoid the hassles of trying pill after pill.

With statistics showing that one out of five people with depression is non-responsive to treatment, this is why there is a need for innovative approaches to treating the disease. And the TMS is offering just that.

Creators of the TMS device explain that for depression treatment, the magnet is aimed at the front left portion of the head, directly atop th
e prefrontal cortex. Because every individual's brain is different, measures need to be taken to make sure that the magnet is aimed at the right place. An initial zap is done at the top of the head to find the motor-control region. Once they're able to locate it, they move five centimeters forward and start beaming 3,000 pulses per minute (ppm) for 40 minutes. The treatment is done five times a week over a course of six weeks.

The creators of the device believes that by stimulating cells in the prefrontal cortex, a chain reaction can be triggered to stimulate deeper brain regions that are primarily responsible for mood regulation.

Tests have proven that this new breakthrough is very safe. People who have tried the device didn't suffer from seizures or memory problems unlike in shock therapy; the only complaint was of headaches. After the tests were done, 24% of the test subjects who got TMS treatment scored significantly better on a standard depression chart after six weeks, compared to 12% who got placebo treatment.

This new treatment is proving to be very promising; however, the FDA highly emphasizes that this is only for people who have failed responding to their first antidepressant. The TMS therapy is not for people who are severely treatment-resistant.

Mark Walters  is a part-time writer and a part-time researcher. He is currently self-studying various Far Eastern languages and is an avid fiction reader. He is currently writing articles oriented towards consumers of pharmaceutical products.

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