Mark George: Treating Depression With an Electromagnet

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hi
my name is janice guerrette I had grand mal seizer when I was 19 but when I
was 6 months old I had convulsion at the age of 5 my whole left side was weaker then my right. i kept having seizer i gave birth to my son which was 9pound 4 oz. perfectly health. then at the age 30 i had brain surgery. i had it in portland me then they told me that they had scared part of my pon and i would be left with brain damage for the rest of my life i'm 48 now and still fighting. i was wondering would that machine you were talking about work even if i had brain surgery?

janice guerrette of ME 9:47PM November 07, 2012

TMS-treatment is something that truly needs to be explored with anyone who has such a devasting illness. My heart goes out the mother of the son whose life has been effected with this insidious illness. YES, YES and YES!!! it can help with auido hallucinations. It has been used successfully in Canada and over seas for many years SUCCESSFULY treating schizophrena....... please contact Dr. Hofffman at Yale University

Cathri of MA 10:29PM June 14, 2011

Dr. George: my son has schizophrenia...any chance this treatment, tms, can help him?please, don't forget about our schizophrenia children when finding cures for brain illnesses like alzheimers or depression. schizophrenia kills and destroys young very young lives. my son was 15 at the onset. handsome, smart, popular, ambitious, kind. slowly the illness took his life away from anything pleasant and he lives with nightmares constantly. please, try to help cure schizophrenia.

giulia mainieri of DC 10:32PM February 21, 2011

Last I heard, the average length of an uncomplicated depression is roughly 9 months. If that is so, once patients try drugs and fail to find relief and then turn to TMS it could simply be that the depression is lifting on its own. Since there is no control group for a single individual, it is impossible to know from the anecdotes listed here if it wasn't just that time was up.
I hope Dr George is on to something real but let's wait for the science.

Sandy of WA 11:06PM October 21, 2010

I began TMS treatment in a hospital setting and after 6 weeks I have 100% success in relief from my Major Depression Disorder symptoms. I didn't notice any significant change/improvement in my emotional, physical and mental state until the 16th-17th session, and after that it took another 6-7 visits to really feel vast improvement, but the truth is, I feel better today than I have ever felt in my entire life! I was cautiously optimistic when I decided to try TMS, and remained so throughout the first 3-4 weeks of therapy, but I now know that it DOES work.
Anyone who has had failure with medications for depression due to lack of efficacy and/or intolerable side effects should give this a try. Also, insurance companies are beginning to accept it as an alternative. (Heretofore coverage has been denied due to TMS classification as "experimental" and "investigational".)
The data is in -- TMS is a viable, side-effect-free solution to major depression disorder. I cannot imagine where these naysayer postings are coming from. When you have tried everything else for depression and your life has no use or value to you because of depression, then it seems logical that any alternative with any positive results should be pursued.

Martha of CT 2:40PM August 23, 2010

Brainsway has the brain stimulation to fix everything and a trial on all of it too??? With current technology it simply is not possible for TMS to achieve such miraculous feats. In fact the data leading to the approval of TMS for depression was marginal at best. The basic attitude was well if it does not hurt anyone and helps a few (placebo effect) let it gain approval. The trials could not have been double-blinded because it is obvious when the coil is active. I think this is good for the development of future TMS-based therapies, but let's be realistic people.

mark anthony of CA 11:49AM February 13, 2010

US studies started.
No complications so far, and it is because Brainsway Deep TMS with H-coil does stimulate specific areas of the brain depending on the person needs.

Irina of GA 7:23PM October 23, 2009

how do you know tms is right for you? can you request it?

mike van hecker of WI 11:31AM August 30, 2009

Over the last 15 or 20 years, I have had several MRIs of the brain and other areas of my body. I had thought it was weird that after the MRI, I felt better than before for a short period of time. I thought it was my imagination; but after reading this article, I thought maybe it wasn't too weird to mention to anyone. So, here it is for what it's worth, if anything.

Shirley Gravlin of FL 1:36PM July 16, 2009

Hope is a precious commodity, especially for those in depression whose brains seem to have more trouble finding it. I am very happy to see Dr. George recognized for his intelligence, vision, and perseverance, which are rare qualities to find all in one person. But what makes Dr. George one of a kind is his enthusiastic dedication to helping people find hope again. He works tirelessly to advance a treatment that will benefit millions, and what drives that vision is a compassionate heart for the unique individuals who are struggling through a life that, to them, seems hopeless.
I was a patient in Dr. George’s TMS research, and thanks to his efforts, my hopes of someday also being a colleague in the field of medicine have been restored. I will soon begin hospital rounds as a part of my medical school education, and I pray that amidst the high-pressure learning environment I can draw upon Dr. George’s example and be driven by the priceless gift of hope that I have the opportunity to bring to all types of patients.

Laura Cheng of SC 10:48PM July 03, 2009