Posted by Pfinstegg on February 13, 2006, at 18:49:15
In reply to Magnetic Stimulation Antidepressants, posted by Iansf on February 8, 2006, at 19:47:29
When I went to have TMS with Dr. Hutto in Atlanta last week, I noticed that the treatment was given in a new, well-decorated room, with a big sign on the door which said "Center for TMS". Before, there was no sign, and no special office. It was the same (old) Neuronetics machine, but Dr. Hutto told me that he has his order in for the new one, and expects that it will become an approved treatment sometime this year. He said he wanted to give me 120%, rather than 110% of the motor threshold stimulation; I agreed, and it hurt even more, but I think it helped more, as well. He said he and his colleagues are turning their attention to the best maintenance protocols, and are thinking that some people (with the most tendency towards relapse) will remain in the best remission if they receive one treatment on a weekly basis- that's if they have responded favorably to an initial course of 15-20 treatments. He said that they are having about equal success with both bipolar and unipolar depression- about 50%. He did say, though, that some other centers report about a 75% success rate when both TMS and ADs are used vigorously, and that his own treatment population tends to be a "tough" one- with lots of patients who have failed with ADs and have needed ECT. Although I don't exactly feel that way about myself much of the time, he considers me one of his "easy, uncomplicated" patients. Well, I guess I'll take it as a compliment of a sort!
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:607679
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060212/msgs/609253.html