Innovative Treatment for Depression Approved by FDA

Online, November 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Innovative Treatment Brings New Hope for People Living with Depression

There is new hope for Fargo/Moorhead residents living with depression, a condition that affects up to 14 million Americans in a given year. Now, Rachel Fleissner MD at Attentive Mind in Fargo North Dakota is offering treatment with a newly available device called NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared NeuroStar TMS Therapy as a treatment for major depression, specifically for patients who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication.
The NeuroStar TMS Therapy system, developed by Neuronetics Inc., stimulates nerve cells in an area of the brain that is linked to depression, by delivering highly focused MRI-strength magnetic pulses. The procedure lasts about 40 minutes, and patients are treated daily for 4-6 weeks. Patients remain awake and alert, there is no anesthesia or sedation, and they can return to normal activities immediately after treatment.
NeuroStar TMS Therapy is a unique because it is non-systemic, meaning that it does not circulate in the bloodstream like antidepressant medications. It is also non-invasive, meaning that it does not involve surgery. TMS lacks the typical side effects of antidepressants, such as weight gain, sexual problems, stomach problems, and dry mouth. The most commonly reported side effects are headache and scalp discomfort.
"About one-third of people with depression do not benefit from antidepressants or experience intolerable side effects that cause them to stop treatment," said Dr Fleissner. "I'm excited to be able to provide patients in Fargo/Moorhead and the surrounding areas in North Dakota and Minnesota with the first and only non-systemic and non-invasive treatment for major depression."
For more information about TMS treatment at Attentive Mind with Dr Rachel Fleissner Board Certified Psychiatrist call 701 364 9723 or visit www.MyDrRachel.com