Some patients receiving medication treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) do not respond well to available options. Some experience unacceptable side effects such as weight gain or sexual side effects, and occasionally develop even more serious adverse effects such as permanent movement disorders.
Nexstim SmartFocus TMS represents an advanced treatment alternative that can be used instead of medications (non-medication treatment of depression), or in combination with medications to produce a more complete treatment response, with the goal of achieving remission from MDD.
SmartFocus TMS therapy activates the potential of the human brain to heal itself, using pulse-doses of magnetic field delivered to just the right brain region to permit recovery from depression.
To be an effective therapy in depression, TMS needs to reach a small area of the brain closely involved in emotion and mood. Physicians call this area the dorsolateral prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). Studies have shown that in patients with depression, metabolic activity is reduced in this part of the brain.
By creating a 3D brain image of your own brain within the Nexstim SmartFocus TMS, we can target a special location of the brain, your left DLPFC--otherwise you may not get the benefit you truly need. We can also visulize the orientation (direction) and strength of the electric field produced by the TMS, only possible with Nexstim, so that we can have precision-delivered therapy.
Patients with MDD frequently have anxiety, low energy, sleep disturbances, low motivation, and other symptoms, all of which can improve with Nextstim TMS.
