Magnetic field therapy could aid depression

TRANSCRANIAL magnetic stimulation (TMS) was invented in Sheffield in the 1980s and has been used to treat a number of mental and physical health conditions, including OCD, anorexia, tinnitus and fibromyalgia — but studies suggest up to 70% of people with clinical depression could benefit from it.

Treatments usually centre around talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressant medicines. For severe depression that hasn’t improved with other treatments, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), where an electric current is applied to the brain under general anaesthetic, is sometimes used. Though generally believed to be effective, ECT is associated with a number of side-effects, including causing seizures and memory loss.

“TMS is a much more acceptable intermediary treatment between medication and ECT,” says London consultant psychiatrist Dr Leigh Neal during this week’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

TMS involves a magnetic coil, which converts electricity into a magnetic field, being placed against the scalp. One treatment lasts about 40 minutes, and is given daily for between 10 and 30 sessions.

Currently, it’s only available on the NHS in Northampton, though other NHS Trusts are considering introducing it. There is a handful of private clinics that offer it (for around £200 a session).

Dr Neal says the treatment creates “a funny electrical feeling” on the scalp, which quickly becomes virtually unnoticeable. There’s a very slight risk of convulsions (the equivalent to one in 30,000 TMS sessions), and a small possibility of some discomfort.