Machine contributing to treatment of severe depression
NEW DELHI: Depression, the most common disorder, has intensified its grip as the number of severe patients coming to Psychiatry Department at AIIMS has doubled.
Most of these patients are nonresponder of anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy. Experts at AIIMS are increasingly turning to Repetitive Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation (RTMS) brain stimulation therapy, an non-invasive procedure that assures that these patients to get almost 90 per cent relief.
“The use of the machine has doubled in the last three years to overcome psychiatric disorders such as depression. When medication does not work in the treatment of depression, then the “Magnetic Brain Stimulation” is being administered through the machine,” said an expert.
Dr Nand Kumar, professor at Psychiatry Department, said that this machine is available only at AIIMS among the government hospitals. Three years ago, as many as four patients were treated with “Magnetic Brain Stimulation” machine every day but now it is used for eight to 10 patients daily.
According to Professor Nand Kumar, cases of depression are increased in women after delivery.
He told a researcher that 15 per cent of pregnant women are victims of depression. In such a situation, it is not easy to give medication. This machine is useful for them. He also said that recently there was a 50-year-old patient named Amit from Jammu and Kashmir who did not get any relief after taking the medication. Due to the treatment for two weeks by using “Magnetic Brain Stimulation” machine, depression decreased almost 90 percent.
On this machine which uses magnetic power, the patient is allowed to sit for three to 30 minutes. This machine accelerates the supply of blood in the cognitive portion associated with the brain’s emotions.
In this process, the patient does not need to be given anesthesia or fainting, the expert informed.
In this, neuromagnetic waves of extremely low velocity are transported to the affected area of the brain. Putting a special device above the head, the waves are flown in the brain.
Normal enzymes, depression, longterm pain can be corrected by this, the expert said. This technique is also used to treat epilepsy. In this, there is a small device installed on the upper surface of the brain, which sends the necessary message to the brain.