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Stanford University School of Medicine researchers claim that they were able stimulate the brains of patients with magnets to alleviate depression.
The researchers published a Friday study that found nearly 80 percent of patients experienced depression relief after the procedure. This is known as Stanford neuromodulation therapy (SNT). This technique, which is a modified version of transcranial magnet stimulation (rTMS), delivers high doses magnetic pulses to the brain of patients using a device that contains magnetic coils outside their skull.
The treatment is quick and takes only five days. It's customized for each patient based upon an MRI scan. This reduces the time required to complete rTMS treatment, which can take weeks instead of days.
Gizmodo spoke with Nolan Williams, co-author of the study and Stanford assistant professor of psychology. He said that he was very interested in solving psychiatric problems in emergency settings, where people were being treated in a matter of days. We came up with a method that would compress stimulation over a six-week period into one day using human neuroscience principles.
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This work is a continuation of a smaller study published by the researchers last year that found SNT could relieve depression in 90% of participants. Gizmodo reports that participants no longer meet the criteria for suicidal ideation or acute depression.
The results are indeed encouraging. Tommy Van Brocklin (60 years old), a patient who was not part of the current study, said that he had suffered from depression since childhood. He also experienced suicidal thoughts and bouts. In September 2021, he was enrolled in SNT at Stanford to continue his research.
Everything started to kick in by the third day. Brocklin explained to Gizmodo that it only got better over the next few days. Since mid September, I've been back home and all the benefits are still with me. I feel so much better. Im sleeping; Im no longer suicidal. I have a new outlook on life and the world.
The researchers state that larger trials of SNT are needed before commercial rollout is possible. If early results are anything to go by, however, there is plenty to be hopeful about.
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