- By Matthew Hill and Jasmine Ketiva-Foley
- BBC West
Mark Rickman said the treatment had a ‘huge impact’ on his life
A magnet-based therapy to treat severe depression is now available for the first time in the western NHS.
During the session, strong magnetic fields are used to stimulate or inhibit different parts of the brain.
The National Institute for Health Evaluation (NICE) said there were “no major safety concerns” with the treatment.
Mark Rickman, 60, of Dartmoor, who is treating bipolar disorder and depression, said rTMS was making a positive impact on him.
He paid £4,000 for treatment at a private clinic elsewhere in the West.
“Response is variable”
In 2015, NICE approved the use of rTMS for people who have not responded well to antidepressants and who have “no major concerns” about treatment.
Headaches are said to be the main side effect, and patients at risk of seizures are being tested.
A NICE spokesperson said, “Despite the variability in clinical responses, there is good evidence of short-term efficacy.”
“Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression can be used with routine arrangements for clinical governance and auditing.”
“It made a huge impact on my life”
Rickman previously tried electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which uses electric shocks to briefly increase electrical activity in the brain, but said it was “debilitating” compared to rTMS.
“The main advantage of rTMS is the short treatment time here, 15- to 30-minute sessions, and the ability to drive yourself,” he said.
“With ECT, on the other hand, I have to have someone with me 24 hours a day and I can’t drive for 12 weeks, so this is a big difference in terms of how it affects my life.”
“New treatments for depression are welcome,” Dr. Maynard said.
Dr. Nathan Maynard, chief consultant psychiatrist at the Taunton rTMS Clinic, said up to a third of people with depression are “clinically resistant to treatment.”
“We typically see patients who are being cared for by mental health services,” he said.
“Patients are referred to our clinic, evaluated by me, and then given an intensive course of rTMS if needed.”
Garrick hopes patients from outside Somerset will benefit more from rTMS
Patients come from all over south-west England for treatment, said Catriona Garrick, head of the neuromodulation team at the clinic.
“We have some patients from Devon, one of whom is from Frome, so the commute is long, but they feel the treatment is beneficial and they are very happy,” she said. said.
