The intensity of the waves can be adjusted depending on the patient’s condition.
One patient named Michael, who has suffered debilitating depression for two decades, took part in a research trial with the device and said that it has shown promise in treating his depression where medication failed.
An experiment of the MUHC at the Allan Gatehouse of the Royal Victoria Hospital, the project is currently in negotiations to have the treatment covered by Medicare.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that the treatment was being undertaken by the Neurological Institute and not the McGill University Health Centre.
There’s a new current in depression signs treatment at the McGill University Health Centre and it’s of the electrical variety.
The treatment, known as neuromodulation, has shown promise as a last-resort approach for patients suffering from depression.
The treatment forgoes medication in favour of non-invasive exposure to a magnetic pulse.
The pulse is sent out by a device that emits a magnetic field into the brain, causing neurons to depolarize and fire.
Patients are exposed to five seconds of exposure to the pulses, followed by 20 seconds away from it, a course repeated 20 times per session.
