However, acupuncture, magnets and massage are also on the horizon. Severe depression affects approximately 10 million Americans. The treatment is repeated over short time intervals, is painless and reportedly has minimal side effects. During treatment, the magnetic field is transmitted through a coil which is held close to the scalp so the field is focused and the magnetic pulses can pass through the skull. Unlike the electricity used in ECT which gets diffused by the skull, magnetic pulses pass readily through bone to stimulate the neurons.
Patients remain awake during treatment.
The effectiveness of rTMS, a refinement of TMS, was tested on 67 patients in a double-blind study. In addition, half of the patients receiving TMS had no need for further treatment with ECT, while all those receiving the sham treatment required it. None of the patients complained about impact on memory, concentration or other cognitive abilities. Additional studies are underway to test the efficacy of rTMS as a long-term treatment and as maintenance therapy. The significance of the finding is that this process may be responsible for HCMV-mediated atherosclerosis and restenosis.