The Guidance Center is now able to provide an alternative method for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication usage.
The NeuroSTAR TMS Therapy System is now available upon the prescription of a licensed psychiatrist to those who meet qualifying standards. TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, has been used since the 1980s by physicians looking for other treatment options.
Dr. Joshua Halbauer, one of The Guidance Center’s psychiatrists, has been trained and approved to perform this treatment. Halbauer noted, “The TMS machine utilizes magnetic pulses that we can strategically direct to those parts of the brain involved in mood regulation. By so doing, we can improve blood circulation, stimulate the uptake of glucose and affect the releases of chemical messengers thus improving mood — much like a massage, but to the brain.
“Side effects are minimal and may involve some scalp tenderness, but no loss of memory as is seen with older modalities. The client remains alert and awake during treatment,” he said. “This procedure is performed completely on an outpatient basis without any sedation and patients can return to work immediately following the treatment.”
In many published research studies, targeted stimulation has proven to produce antidepressant effects.
“With so many patients not responding to typical antidepressant medications, I wanted to have an alternative form of treatment,” Halbauer said. “TMS has been effective and was the perfect option.”
The Guidance Center’s leadership is pleased to be able to offer the treatment locally.
Ed Mialky, executive director, said, “The board of the directors and staff believe that providing TMS to our clients is making an investment in their future.”
He explained donations helped make the new treatment option a reality.
“We feel fortunate that we had some private donations to make a deposit on the TMS equipment or else this treatment would not be possible in our community,” Mialky explained. “It is a treatment typically found only in larger cities.”
