My attention was caught this week by something called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). It is a method for curing depression that involves neither clinical drugs nor spoken therapy, and instead tries to resolve an imbalance in the brain using electro-magnetic waves.

Although the theory and scientific interest behind this has existed for many decades, it’s only in the last few years that this radical new approach to treating mental illness has begun to gain recognition. This being said it is still has some way to go before it is universally recognised as an effective treatment for depression.

So is TMS a brilliant new resource to cure mental illness or is it the latest overrated invention by some quack? It has been adopted by the London Psychiatric Centre, as well as a number of other highly regarded institutions.

What does it actually involve?

The principal of it is that the brain is run by electronic pulses that flow through it, and people who are prone to depression have a part of their brain (the bit that generates “happy feelings” for want of a better term) that is underdeveloped. TMS is a therapy course where people go to their doctor 5 days a week for sessions that last 37 minutes (I’m a little unclear as to why the time is so specific). In these sessions the patient has a series of tiny magnetic waves pulsed through the particular part of the brain, thus stimulating it and helping to resolve the imbalance. It requires no anaesthetic and the patient can carry on with their regular activities immediately afterwards.

Verdict?

Thousands of people have already undergone this treatment and many will swear that it works a treat. NeuroStar TMS Therapy, an American health organisation, have statistics on their website stating that “after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment

 •1 in 2 patients improved significantly

 •1 in 3 patients were free of depression symptoms”

But I have to wonder; when someone has been suffering from deep depression for a long time (in some cases years or even decades), can you really make a significant difference in just 4 to 6 weeks by waving a machine at them? NeuroStar do stress that TMS is not a replacement for prescription drugs or other therapies but rather a possible alternative where these more conventional methods fail. Now I’m not bashing TMS whole heartedly and I’m perfectly prepared to believe it has potential to help. It’s just that it feels a bit like a ‘miracle cure for all ailments’ being sold at a Victorian fair. Perhaps I’m overly pessimistic but it just seems a little too perfect.

What are your views on TMS and treatment for depression?