UCSD Offers Magnetic Stimulation for Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression 

January 26, 2022 by Alexa Hornbeck
UCSD Offers Magnetic Stimulation for Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression 

The University of California San Diego Health now offers a new treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression, called transcranial magnetic stimulation.

TMS is a treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to stimulate nerve cells in areas of the brain associated with major depression. The treatment involves hand-held coils that apply a series of magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.

This causes neurons in the brain to fire in a synchronous way that results in neuroplasticity, or a rewiring of the brain. 

The treatment usually involves a series of five sessions of TMS a week for four to six weeks, with each session lasting 60 minutes. 

UCSD Health said about 90% of patients experience few or no side effects from the treatment. Consideration for treatment will depend on a patient’s insurance carrier and whether the patient can provide proof that previous depression medications and treatments were not effective.

About one-third to one-half of patients with treatment-resistant depression found they were free of symptoms after receiving treatment at the TMS clinic. 

In the future, UCSD Health will look to create an accelerated treatment trial program to shorten the treatment period.

Alexa can be reached at [email protected] 

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Health

Biden Announcing New Rule to Protect Consumers Who Purchase Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum... Read More

March 27, 2024
by Dan McCue
One-Time Treatment Could Revitalize Immune Systems in the Elderly

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of... Read More

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell could potentially revitalize the immune systems of the elderly, helping their bodies better react to viral and bacterial threats. The research was carried out... Read More

March 27, 2024
by Dan McCue
Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

Five Takeaways From the Abortion Pill Case Before US Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for millions of American women and for scores of drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It's... Read More

Biden and Harris Argue Democrats Will Preserve Health Care and Republicans Would Take It Away

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in... Read More

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade... Read More

March 26, 2024
by Tom Ramstack
Supreme Court Skeptical of Ban on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access... Read More

WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access to the abortion pill mifepristone despite objections from anti-abortion activists. The doctors and organizations who sued argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong in granting... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top