>>> FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, THERE'S ANOTHER
OPTION BESIDES MEDICATION FOR TREATMENT.
IT'S CALLED TRANS CRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION.
IT'S A NONINVASIVE TREATMENT THAT USES MAGNETIC PULSES TO
STIMULATE THE BRAIN. CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH
DR. PEE-YOUSH JOE-HAR-EE FROM HOLLY OAK MEDICAL CENTER TO
LEARN MORE. >>> , THEMS STANDS FOR TRANS
CRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION. THE MAGNETIC FIELD GOES THROUGH
AND STIMULATES THAT PART OF THE BRAIN THAT WE ARE TRYING TO
FOCUS ON. >>> SO HOW DOES IT WORKS?
LIKE, SOMEBODY WALKS INTO YOUR OFFICE, WHAT'S THE PROCEDURE?
>> THE IDEA IS TO STIMULATE A CERTAIN PART OF THE BRAIN ON THE
LEFT FRONT PART OF THE BRAIN, BECAUSE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT
THAT PART OF THE BRAIN IS CONNECTED TO DEEPER PARTS IN THE
BRAIN THAT DON'T WORK SO WELL WHEN SOMEBODY HAS DEPRESSION.
>>> SO IS THERE LIKE A HEADBAND? HOW DOES PATIENT SET UP IN THE
OFFICE? >> BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS
IT'S -- THE PATIENT IS AWAKE. DOESN'T NEED SEDATION OR ANY
ANESTHESIA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THE CHAIR IS A COMFORTABLE CHAIR LIKE A DENTIST CHAIR.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU SIT BACK LIKE THAT AND THE FIRST SESSION WE DO
WHAT'S CALLED MAPPING BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON A PART OF
THE BRAIN ON THE LEFT FRONTAL PART, LIKE I SAID, WHICH IS A
SIZE OF LIKE A PING-PONG BALL, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
SO WE HAVE TO KNOW ARE WHERE TO FOCUS THE MAGNETIC FIELD.
SO WE MAP THE PATIENT FOR THE FIRST SESSION, AND THEN WE HAVE
THE COORDINATES AND THEN WE KNOW WHERE TO FOCUS IT EVERY TIME
GOING FORWARD. >>> SO THEY SIT THERE FOR -- AND
HOW LONG DOES IT TYPICALLY TAKE? >> TYPICALLY A TREATMENT TAKES
AROUND 20 MINUTES. >>> DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING AS THE
TREATMENT IS GOING ON? >> SO THINK OF IT LIKE KNOCKING
ON WOOD, LIKE THAT. SO YOU FEEL LIKE A TAPPING
SENSATION ON THE HEAD. MOST PEOPLE FIND IT A LITTLE
DISCOMFORTING INITIALLY BUT THEY ADAPT TO IT VERY QUICKLY AND
SOON THEY DON'T FEEL ANYTHING. THEY JUST -- THEY'RE OKAY WITH
IT. >>> SO YOU HAVE ONE SESSION AND
THEN THERE ARE FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS AFTER?
>> YES, THE TREATMENTS THAT WE DO, AND ARE RECOMMENDED
NATIONWIDE IS FIVE TREATMENTS A WEEK.
WE DO THEM MONDAY TO FRIDAY. AND THE TREATMENT LASTS FOR
ABOUT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS. SO IT IS A COMMITMENT OF TIME.
>>> WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR THAT?
WHO WOULD BE A CANDIDATE FOR THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT?
>> TYPICALLY KINDS OF PATIENTS WHO ARE REFERRED NOW ARE
PATIENTS WHO HAVE NOT RESPONDED
TO MEDICATION OR PSYCHOTHERAPY HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE.
>>> AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION, IT'S SUCH A COMPLEX
PROBLEM. CAN YOU EXPLAIN IF YOU WERE TO
THE LAY UPON WHAT IS DEPRESSION AS OPPOSED TO SOMEBODY BEING
SAD? >> YES.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. IT'S OFTEN CONFUSING IN THE MIND
OF THE LAYPERSON. WHEN PSYCHIATRISTS TALK ABOUT
DEPRESSION WE MEAN CLINICAL DEPRESSION.
AND IT'S DIFFERENT THAN ORDINARY SADNESS.
T T ORDINARY SAD NECESSARY OR NORMAL SADNESS IS IS A NORMAL
HUMAN EMOTION. YOU HAVE SOMETHING DISAPPOINTING
IN YOUR LIFE, YOU GET UPSET BUT THEN YOU MOVE ON.
DEPRESSION IS A LITTLE MORE GLOBAL THAN THAT, BY WHICH I
MEAN PEOPLE NOT ONLY FEEL SAD, THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL CORE
SYMPTOM, BUT THEY GET EFFECTED. THEIR ENERGY GOES DOWN.
THEIR INTEREST IN LIFE GOES DOWN.
THEY VIEW THEMSELVES AS LESS THAN OTHERS.
THEY VIEW THE PAST AND THE FUTURE DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S VERY DARK. SO IT'S MORE GLOBAL AND IT
AFFECTS PERSONAL, ATTENTION, DRIVER.
SO IT AFFECTS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN AND THAT'S WHAT WE
TREAT WHEN WE SAY DEPRESSION. EMOTIONAL CONDITION?MICAL AND
>> YEAH. IT IS CHEMICAL AT THE END OF THE
DAY. ALL HUMAN EXPERIENCES CAN
CONVERTED INTO CHEMICALS IN THE BRAIN BUT IT'S HARD TO SEPARATE
IF THIS IS CHEMICAL AND THIS IS ENVIRONMENTAL BECAUSE WE
EXPERIENCE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR LIVES AND OUR BRAIN RESPOND
TOSS THAT. >>> WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF
TAKING MEDICATION? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE
DON'T RESPOND TO IT BUT DOESN'T IT CARRY SOME RISKS AS WELL?
>> YES. MEDICATION CAN BE VERY HELPFUL.
THEY HAVE BEEN THE MAINSTAY OF TREATMENT FOR A NUMBER OF
DECADES NOW. BUT THERE ARE LIMITATIONS.
PEOPLE OFTEN DON'T LIKE TO TAKE MEDICATIONS.
OR THEY DON'T FEEL GOOD ON MEDICATIONS MEANING SIDE EFFECTS
SO THEY DISCONTINUE MEDICATIONS. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE IS
COMPLIANCE. YOU TELL PEOPLE THE TAKE
MEDICATIONS EVERY DAY AND THEY DON'T DO THAT.
THEY FORGET OR THEY'RE AMBIVALENT ABOUT IT.
SO MEDICATIONS HAS LIMITATIONS. >>> AND DOES TMS HAVE ANY SIDE
EFFECTS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN? >> YES.
NO TREATMENT IS PERFECT. THE MOST COMMON COMPLAINT WE
HAVE IS LIKE I MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE FEEL A LITTLE LOCAL
DISCOLDCOMFORT WHERE THE STIMULS IS.
IN OUR EXPERIENCE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ADAPT TO IT.
IT'S NOT TERRIBLE. YOU CAN HAVE A HEADACHE, WHICH
OFTEN RESPONDS TO -- IT JUST GOES AWAY BY ITSELF OR YOU CAN
TAKE TYLENOL OR SIMPLE OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE THE COMMON SIDE EFFECTS.
>>> DUFF PSYCHOTHERAPY AS WELL WHERE PEOPLE GO AND TALK ABOUT
THEIR PROBLEMS? DOES THAT GO HAND-IN-HAND WITH
THE MEDICATION OR, TMS? >> YES.
THE BEST TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION ARE USUALLY A
COMBINATION OF THERAPY, THAT'S TALK THERAPY WITH MEDICATION.
THE TALK THERAPY WITH TMS. SO THEY DON'T EXCLUDE EACH
OTHER. >>> PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY
STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION, FOR THOSE WHO ARE DISS CAN YOU --
DISCOURAGED, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
>> IT IS A COMPLEX PROBLEM, LIKE I SAID BUT THERE IS A LOT OF
HOPE. AND I THINK WE HAVE DIFFERENT
TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOXES. THERE IS TALK THERAPY AND
THERE'S DIFFERENT KINDS OF TALK THERAPY.
SOME STYLES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY MAY OR MAY NOT APPEAL TO A CERTAIN
PERSON BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS OF THOUGHTED THERE.
THERE IS A CHARGE VARIETY OF MEDICATIONS.
THERE'S ALWAYS NEW MEDICATIONS COMING UP AND THERE IS TRANS
WHICH IS A NEW AREA THAT HASN COME UP.
AND THE WAY I LOOKAT IT IS THERE IS ONLY THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS
TREATMENT. THERE'S MORE TO COME IN TERMS OF
CAN IT BE USED FOR OTHER CONDITIONS.
CAN WE DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT FOUR TO SIX
WEEKS AND SO ON. THERE IS MORE RESEARCH COMING
ALONG, WHICH I THINK WE WILL REFINE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
THIS TREATMENT HELPS PEOPLE. >>> BUT CERTAINLY IF YOU ARE
STRUGGLING, REACH OUT FOR HELP, CORRECT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A
PROPER EVALUATION WITH A TRAINEDM. PROFESSIONAL.
IT CAN BE A THERAPIST, A PSYCHIATRIST AND EVEN A PRIMARY
CARE DOCTOR ACTUALLY THEY TREAT THE MOST
NUMBER OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS, STUDIED HAVE SHOWN.
SO ASKING FOR HELP AND GETTING A PROPER EVALUATION IS VERY
HELPFUL. THERE ARE VERY GOOD TOOLS TO DO
THAT. IT'S NOT THAT COMPLICATED BUT
PEOPLE OFTEN HESITATE TO SEEK HELP AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE
BECAUSE DEPRESSION HAS A DARK SIDE TO IT.