New depression therapy showing positive results in AHN patients
For two decades, prescriptions were the solution for Valerie Bojarski’s depression when she went to the doctors.
“I felt that I had tried all of them. They would work until they didn’t and then there would be side effects,” Bojarski said.
Looking for a solution, she found Allegheny Health Network’s transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment.
“What TMS does is use particular sequences of magnetic pulses to affect brain activity,” said Dr. Steven Forman, the director of AHN Psych. Neuromodulation.
It’s similar to an MRI, except TMS takes those pulses and makes changes to help treat depression or OCD.
“The patient sits in the chair; the helmet is placed over their head at a particular location, and we turn it on with a computer controller. We say ‘you ready’ and countdown and press button for pulse sequence to go on,” Forman said.
Those sequences can last anymore from four to twenty minutes. The patients have to go through the sessions five days a week for six weeks, but it’s showing positive results in Pittsburgh with more than two dozen patients going through the program.
“I feel like it saved my life, I feel like Dr. Forman and everyone there they helped give me my life back,” Bojarski said.
Bojarski said she feels her mood has dramatically changed and would recommend it to anyone eligible. That potential patient pool is growing as the FDA just approved this month for one device manufacturer to use the treatment for adolescent depression.
“It’s very hard to treat, I’m very excited that TMS has the clearance for it and because it’s not a med, it offers a real new opportunity for those patients to try. I’m hopeful it has similar kind of effectiveness rates,” Forman said.
Some insurance companies do cover the treatment, if you think you’d be a good candidate you can give them a call at 412-330-4429.
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