Posted by hgi698 on June 12, 2007, at 20:37:58
"TMS is still a relatively experimental area of medicine that is primarily being used for research purposes and clinical trials only. Though widely recognized as a potential treatment for a number of mental disorders including depression, the problem until now has been that existing TMS devices can only penetrate about half an inch beneath the surface of the cortex."
"Brainsway’s founders, however, have invented a new TMS coil configuration that has been designed to generate sufficient magnetic field strength to stimulate neurons which are located 5 to 6 cm. inside the brain mass without posing a hazard. This, according to Zangen, means the device can potentially be used to treat a wide range of mental illnesses including depression, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease, addiction, stroke, drug abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia."
"The magnetic coil, which is placed on specific areas of the patient’s scalp, sends strong directed magnetic pulses through the brain to stimulate the Nucleus Accumbens (the part of the brain responsible for positive stimuli) and the neurons connected to it. “By repeated artificial stimulation of electrical activity created by the coil, we boost the sensitivity of these circuits so they will work more efficiently,” says Dr. Hilik Lewkovitch, at Brainsway."
"The result is that the next time natural stimulation occurs, such as something pleasant that the brain responds to, the patient will respond more strongly, enjoy it more, and seek to repeat the experience. By intensifying sensitivity this causes the patient to respond normally to the environment."
"Brainsway is now meeting with the FDA to approve its clinical strategy. The company hopes to receive FDA approval and CE approval at the same time, enabling the company to begin sales in both Europe and the United States in 2008 or 2009. The company’s goal is to start by targeting depression, and then move to other areas of mental health."
poster:hgi698
thread:762772
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070604/msgs/762772.html