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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive form of treatment that uses magnets to stimulate areas of your brain. This approach to treatment has been used for some time for major depressive disorders and for other conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and migraines. Recent studies show that it’s also beneficial for some people as a treatment for bipolar depression.
TMS therapy for bipolar disorder is carefully targeted to a specific area of your brain. For expert TMS treatment in the NYC and NJ areas, the experienced team of doctors at Neuro Injury Specialists have the knowledge and experience needed to provide effective individualized treatment for bipolar depression, headaches, nerve pain and other neurological conditions.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by dramatic mood swings and shifts in energy and behavior. Bipolar depression is characterized by feeling sad and hopeless, while emotional highs are known as mania.
Symptoms of bipolar depression include:
Mania is the opposite extreme of low energy and mood. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania, nonetheless, both have symptoms that include:
The mood changes of bipolar disorder can be so severe that they interfere with daily life including working and going to school. The cycles of bipolar disorder can last for days, weeks or months. If symptoms of mania and depression occur at the same time, it’s called a mixed episode.
More than 5.7 million Americans are affected by bipolar disorder and doctors don’t know for sure why some people get this condition.
Factors that increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder include:
Bipolar disorder affects both men and women and can affect people of all ages. For most people, symptoms become noticeable in the late teens or early 20s, but it sometimes affects children and people in their 40s or 50s.
TMS therapy for bipolar is done by using magnetic pulses to stimulate specific parts of the brain. Magnetic pulses target cortical brain areas to modulate brain networks. Anesthesia isn’t required.
Steps of the procedure include:
The magnetic pulses stimulate nerves in the area of your brain that affects mood. A session lasts between 20 and 60 minutes. Initial treatment may be several times a week and may be tapered down to once a week. Each individual is different and your doctor explains how many sessions are needed in your case and how long they’re likely to take.
urrent treatment options for bipolar disorder can be effective, but don’t always work on all patients. Treatment options for bipolar depression include behavior modification and pharmacological interventions, such as:
It’s sometimes difficult to find medications or combinations of medication that effectively manage symptoms of bipolar disorder. Another challenge is that some medications have side effects that you may find intolerable, leading you to stop taking the medications as prescribed. TMS treatment for bipolar depression can be effective in managing symptoms that haven’t been managed by other forms of treatment.
TMS is considered a safe and non-invasive procedure. Side effects of TMS are usually mild and are typically less severe than the side effects of medications used to treat this condition.
Side effects that you may experience include:
In rare cases, TMS may cause seizures in people with bipolar disorder, and it shouldn’t be used on anyone who has a seizure disorder. There’s also some risk that TMS could trigger a manic episode, but this is also a risk when anti-depressants are prescribed to treat bipolar disorder.
If you or a loved one has bipolar disorder and the condition is untreated, there can be major consequences such as an increased risk of suicide or serious problems caused by reckless and impulsive behavior. Contact the medical professionals at Neuro Injury Specialists to find out if you’re a good candidate to receive TMS for bipolar depression.