Anyone struggling with depression knows just how difficult this condition is. Although it has only recently become recognised as a serious issue, there are several treatment options available today.
Antidepressant medication is, of course, one of the leading ways to treat depression. However, they aren’t always the best treatment solution, as they tend to cause side effects such as headaches, brain fog, and even digestive problems.
On the other hand, there is something called brain stimulation therapy that can be more useful for patients with MDD or major depressive disorder. Patients with treatment-resistant depression may also benefit from this kind of therapy. Here is how brain stimulation therapy affects your well-being.
Brain Stimulation Therapies
As their name suggests, brain stimulation therapies modify brain activity and they do it through electrical or magnetic stimulation.
There are different types such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus never stimulation (VNS), or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The first two use direct electrical currents, while TMS relies on magnetic fields instead.
What is TMS?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a brain stimulation therapy that delivers short, low-intensity magnetic pulses to the brain through an electromagnetic coil. This non-invasive brain therapy stimulates neurons and neural circuits in depression-affected regions.
How Does TMS Work?
For the last two decades, TMS has been used to help patients who suffer from depression. Usually, the TMS session lasts around 40 minutes and patients have their daily treatments five days a week for about one month. Sessions can go from 4 to 6 weeks, but there should be 20-30 of them.
With some recent innovations, tms therapy for depression sessions time has been reduced to 37 minutes. Although it may seem insignificant, it certainly means a lot to patients in recovery. Depending on the patient and the gravity of the condition, people may experience serious improvement even after just two weeks of treatments.
What is ECT?
Another non-invasive type of therapy is electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. This kind of treatment uses electric currents to induce controlled seizures in the brain. That way, it can help treat severe mental health disorders. It is used in treating major depression, catatonia, and mostly suicidal or high-risk patients.
ECT in Practice
How does this kind of therapy work? Even before treatment, patients receive general anaesthesia and a muscle relaxant. Then, electrodes placed on the head send an electric current that induces a short seizure.
Usually, ECT is done three times a week. The treatment period can be anything from 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the condition. It’s not unusual to have ongoing treatment even after this time to prevent relapse or to combine the treatment with antidepressants to improve the results of the treatment.
What is VNS?
The third brain stimulation therapy is VNS or vagus nerve stimulation. It started as a treatment for epilepsy only, but it has been used as a treatment for depression for over 20 years. Typically, it’s recommended for patients with seven or recurrent symptoms.
VNS Procedure
Opposite to the first two, this is an invasive procedure, as it requires a minor surgery. The purpose of this procedure is to implant a watch-sized device in the upper left chest. The device then sends electrical pulses through the vagus nerve. Through the neck, chest, and abdomen, the signals are finally delivered to the brain.
It is worth mentioning that VNS is painless during the operation and that pulses last around 30 seconds every 5 minutes. There is a more recent version of this treatment called transcutaneous VNS, which is a non-invasive treatment. This one uses a portable device, it’s more accessible, and more affordable.
Is Brain Stimulation Therapy for You?
How to tell if you are suitable for brain stimulation therapy? The answer to this is a thorough evaluation conducted by medical professionals. A behavioural health specialist should review your medical history, symptoms, and previous treatment options and responses.
They will then suggest this kind of therapy if they feel you could benefit from it. In most cases, that happens when medication and psychotherapy are no longer providing sufficient relief.
Conclusion
Mental health is a complex field. There are numerous ways to affect your mental wellbeing and brain stimulation therapy is just one of them. If necessary, this kind of therapy could alleviate symptoms of depression even when medication doesn’t help.
