A phase 2 clinical trial has tested the efficacy and safety of a transcranial magnetic stimulation device used at home to treat major depression in 174 patients. After dividing them into two groups, one of them received the treatment and the other a placebo procedure. After ten weeks, both groups had improved their symptoms, but the improvement in the active treatment group was 0.4 points greater on the Hamilton Depression Scale.
According to the authors, who publish the results in the journal ‘Nature Medicine’, “it could potentially serve as a first-line treatment in major depression.”
depressive disorder Elderly is one of the main causes of disability worldwide and is the most important factor preceding suicides. Currently, first-line treatments include antidepressant medications and psychological therapies; However, more than one-third of people with this disorder do not achieve complete clinical remission.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that applies a weak direct current through electrodes placed on the scalp, specifically the forehead, and has been presented as a novel treatment for depressive disorder. elderly. Typically, a tDCS treatment course requires daily sessions in a research clinic for several weeks.
In statements to Science Media Center, Alberto Ortiz Lobo, psychiatrist at Hospital de Día Carlos III – Hospital Universitario La Paz, criticizes the influence of financial interests in research, linked to companies that market these treatments, and warns that this promotes a focused approach on the individual and their brain, ignoring the social and contextual factors of mental suffering.
Joaquim Raduà, psychiatrist at IDIBAPS, for his part, points out that the result is promising, since it suggests that the device could be an additional alternative to treat depression, expanding treatment options to adapt to the individual needs of each patient.
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