Originally published July 21 2005
Magnetic stimulation an alternative to electro-shock for severe depression
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A relatively new technique for treating severe depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation, involves using magnetic stimulation on a conscious patient's brain as an alternative to electroshock therapy, which is performed on an unconscious patient and can have negative side effects like temporary memory loss.
Nowadays depression is seen as amenable to treatment: with psychotherapy or medication most patients affected can be assisted out of their depressive phase.
Because depression is one of the most frequent psychological diseases -- every sixth person suffers from it at least once in their lives -- this affects a large number of people.
In these cases electro-shock therapy is one option.
Then the doctors pass electrical impulses through the patient's head via two electrodes, thereby triggering an epileptic spasm.
'In the severest cases of depression electro-shock therapy is nowadays still an important therapeutic option,' the head of the Bonn Psychiatric Clinic, Professor Wolfgang Maier, emphasises.
The type of electro-shock now used is regarded as a form of therapy which is well tolerated by patients.
'As a rule, this impairment of memory does gradually recede, but understandably it is often experienced by patients as annoying,' Bonn lecturer Dr. Michael Wagner says.
The reason is that the flow of electricity is not precise enough, also hitting the hippocampus, our brain's 'memory centre'.
This is why recently a different therapy has come to the fore which has few side-effects: in 'transcranial magnetic stimulation' (TMS) the doctors place a coil on the patient's forehead.
For several minutes this produces a strong pulsating magnetic field which in turn produces a flow of electrical current.
The Bonn researchers have treated a total of 30 patients suffering from severe depression either with electro-shock or magnetic stimulation.
The magnetic field which they produce is so strong that it can trigger an epileptic spasm.
Yet unlike with electro-shock the flow of current in TMS remains restricted to the area of the brain which is responsible for mood -- the hippocampus is not affected.
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