Nevada Mental Health is expanding access to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for teenagers following FDA approval of the treatment for adolescents with major depressive disorder. The treatment is now available to teens ages 15 and older at the facility.
TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic coils to stimulate brain areas negatively affected by depression and other mental health conditions. Individual treatment sessions last approximately 20 minutes. Unlike some psychiatric medications, TMS does not cause systemic side effects. It has shown benefit for patients who have not responded to other treatments.
Major depressive disorder is a severe form of depression affecting 21 million people in the United States. Dr. Sid Khurana, MD, co-founder of Nevada Mental Health, described the FDA’s approval and implementation of the treatment as significant. “This is a breakthrough for the teen patients we serve,” Khurana said. “We want parents to know this option is available, especially if their child has been struggling and not seeing the results they’d hoped for with other treatments.” Nevada Mental Health will use TMS as a complementary therapy for patients with major depressive disorder, in line with FDA guidance.
TMS is currently FDA-approved for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation, and anxiety. Nevada Mental Health offers TMS for qualified patients seeking this treatment option.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://nevadabusiness.com/2024/12/nevada-mental-health-expands-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-treatment-to-teens-fighting-depression/