Magnets Used as Mood Disorder Treatments

Depression impacts about fifteen million adult American annually. Compared to all other medical illnesses, depression is the number-one cause of disability in the U.S.

Multiple mood disorder treatments exist for depression. The three most popular conventional treatments are psychopharmacology, therapy, and shock therapy, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

However, a new, unconventional treatment has recently emerged called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is an experimental therapy that utilizes magnetic fields to stimulate a certain portion of the brain.

Researchers theorize that the stimulus restores malfunctioning brain circuitry and eventually ameliorates depressive symptoms. TMS therapy sessions usually take 20-30 minutes, and patients can undergo them several times each week. Doctors claim about 10-20 therapy sessions are necessary for positive results.