There is an investigational treatment for major depression that will possibly get more attention in the near future.
If you read my profile, you will find that my job involves researching new medical technologies. Normally, I do not talk about what I have been reviewing lately. For this blog post, however, I'm making an exception. In fact, I may consider using this blog more often for reports of major technological breakthroughs.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive magnetic therapy for major depression. Instead of electrical shocks through the brain to induce a seizure, as with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the treatment delivers magnetic pulses to the brain. I have mentioned this briefly in my article on depression treatments. So far, TMS has not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but if it is accepted as safe and efficacious, TMS may be an alternative to ECT if antidepressants fail.
I am not here to say what I think of the technology. I am simply informing you what you might hear about in the near future. Based on the interest it has been generating among some psychiatrists, TMS is something that could make the headlines pretty soon. Whether this treatment will have a positive or negative impact on depression is something that only time will tell.
