Posted by SLS on May 20, 2006, at 9:08:12
In reply to What is TMS?, posted by UgottaHaveHOPE on May 19, 2006, at 20:03:08
> I am sorry I am a newbie to medical terms. Please explain what that TMS is and anything about that study ... that is so exciting to hear. We need more good news like that on here.
TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is a treatment by which a powerful magnet applied to the head induces an electrical current to specific areas inside the brain. It is thought to work in a way similar to ECT, but without the cognitive and memory side effects.
At the moment, it is still unclear how effective TMS is relative to other treatment modalities. It probably won't get as many people as well as ECT, but it has shown significant efficacy in some. They are still experimenting with the treatment in order to establish the most effective settings for the magnet machine. At the moment, I believe that 20 Hz applied to the left side of the head is considered optimal.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:645989
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060520/msgs/646169.html