Revolutionary therapy in Frankfurt: Magnetic pulses against depression!

Revolutionary therapy in Frankfurt: Magnetic pulses against depression!

The Varisano health association has significantly expanded its offer for patients with depression and obsessive -compulsive disorders. As Taunus Nachrichten , the repetitive transcranial magnet stimulation (RTMS) is now available as a new form of therapy. This non-invasive method can be applied in parallel to conventional therapies and drug treatment.

Treatment takes place in the psychiatric clinics of the Varisano hospitals in Frankfurt-Höchst and Hofheim. With special magnetic impulses, RTMS specifically stimulates certain areas of the brain, which happens on the head via a coil. The procedure is painless and requires neither surgical intervention nor anesthesia, with only minor side effects such as slight headache or tiredness.

Effectiveness of the RTMS

Studies show the effectiveness of the RTMS, especially with severe forms of depression. According to an analysis in the journal "The Lancet Psychiatry" from 2021, 30 to 50 percent of the patients had a significant improvement in symptoms. The method has also shown positive results in the case of obsessive-compulsive disorders, as shown by the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry.

Christian Kremer, senior physician of the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychosomatics at the Hofheim Hospital, heads RTMS therapy. The treatment usually extends over several weeks and comprises 20 to 30 sessions, with each session lasting about 10 to 20 minutes. Therapeutic accompaniment by psychotherapy and medication is also carried out.

The background for therapy

Why is the RTMS so important? Many patients who do not respond to conventional treatment approaches such as psychotherapy and antidepressants or suffer from poor tolerance can benefit from this new method. The research team has recognized that in depression the brain areas that are responsible for emotions and thoughts often do not act balanced. The transcranial magnetic stimulation aims to restore this balance and to influence the excitability of the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex using magnetic pulses. The aim is to promote brain activity and relieve the symptoms of depression.

modern variants of this method, such as the theta burst stimulation (TBS), are also the focus of research. This technology is characterized by a shorter duration of stimulation and could offer a longer -lasting effect. It has already been successfully examined in pilot studies and could be a valuable addition to existing forms of therapy, as can be found on Deutschee-Depreishilfe.de .