I've been following this new deep TMS technology. It has the potential to excite or inhibit any area of the brain in contrast to conventional TMS which can only target 1-2 cm deep from the surface of the brain. It has potential applications for brain disorders, human enhancement, or possibly brain-computer interfaces.
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive technique used to apply brief magnetic pulses to the brain. The pulses are administered by passing high currents through an electromagnetic coil placed adjacent to a patient's scalp. The pulses induce an electric field in the underlying brain tissue. When the induced field is above a certain threshold, and is directed in an appropriate orientation relative the brain's neuronal pathways, localized axonal depolarizations are produced, thus activating the neurons in the relevant brain structure.
Standard TMS coils are limited to activation of only cortical brain regions, up to a depth of about 1.5 cm. Hence when treating depression with a standard TMS system, the limbic system, which is related to mood regulation and is generally deeper than 1.5 cm, is only indirectly affected, through secondary processes involving cortical structures, which are directly activated by TMS and then affect the deeper limbic system structures.
The unique technology of Brainsway Deep TMS System enables direct non-invasive activation of deep brain structures.
Deep TMS is a breakthrough in the search for a non-invasive approach for treating common brain disorders. Deep TMS uses a unique, patented coil design to produce directed electromagnetic fields that can induce excitation or inhibition of neurons deep inside the brain. The treatment is non-invasive, with no significant side effects, no systemic effect (in contrast to drugs), and no need of hospitalization or anesthesia.
Deep TMS
The Hesed coils (H-coils) are a novel development in rTMS, designed to achieve effective stimulation of deeper neuronal regions without inducing unbearable fields cortically, thus broadly expanding the potential feasibility of TMS for research and treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, it may theoretically be possible to exploit the temporal characteristics of the neuronal response, in order to improve dramatically the efficacy and focality of the stimulation of deep brain structures, potentially enabling focused stimulation of deep regions with no activation of cortical brain regions.
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
"The magnetic coil, which is placed on specific areas of the patient’s scalp, sends strong directed magnetic pulses through the brain to stimulate the Nucleus Accumbens (the part of the brain responsible for positive stimuli) and the neurons connected to it. “By repeated artificial stimulation of electrical activity created by the coil, we boost the sensitivity of these circuits so they will work more efficiently,” says Dr. Hilik Lewkovitch, at Brainsway."
"The result is that the next time natural stimulation occurs, such as something pleasant that the brain responds to, the patient will respond more strongly, enjoy it more, and seek to repeat the experience. By intensifying sensitivity this causes the patient to respond normally to the environment."
Deep TMS alzheimer's
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a major cause of severe cognitive decline in the aged, having no effective treatment at the present. The primary cognitive deficiencies are revealed in working memory, language, executive functions, attention, and long-term memory. Our safety study on healthy subjects indicated that deep TMS, but not standard TMS, positively affects spatial memory in several standard tasks. These effects were observed after application of TMS over deep prefrontal cortical regions. However, we plan to test the effects of stimulation of other sites as well. In one case study of an Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patient having a SPECT demonstration of cortical hypoperfusion mainly over the left cortical mantle (being in accord with the specific pattern of cognitive deficits revealed by this patient), we placed the coil over the anterior left hemi-cranium where the calculated effect should arrive at the ipsilateral prefrontal cortex, and at the dorsal septal region with its major cholinergic nuclei. A wide variety of neuropsychological tests were applied before, during and after one month of daily treatment. The patient received treatment with the H2 coil. Clear improvements were demonstrated in orientation, visual memory, executive functions and confrontation naming. The effect on other cognitive domains was equivocal. The patient demonstrated a significant improvement in affective state which was confirmed by her family members. Of course, we plan to continue our research in this field.
Deep TMS obesity
In the last four decades of obesity research, progress has been made in identifying causes and treatments. Research has provided a greater understanding of obesity as a chronic disease caused by a complex interaction of genetic, metabolic, behavioral, psychological and environmental (social and cultural) factors. A major problem in subjects who try different diets is the tendency to relapse to overeating behavior, which is often induced by stress or contextual cues that increase craving for certain foods. The Brainsway company plans to initiate two different studies using deep TMS. One study will target feeding regulation centers within the hypothalamus (a very deep brain region) and a different study will test the ability of deep prefrontal and orbitocortical stimulation to control and inhibit the effects of certain food cues on food craving.
A similar approach is now being tested in nicotine addicts (heavy smokers who wish to quit smoking) and will later be tested in subjects addicted to cocaine and heroin
Deep TMS
Mindware DocumentaryIn 2005, Brainsway carried out a study on a single Alzheimer’s patient. The patient, who is the wife of a well-known physician in Israel, had been treated with every new cutting edge drug and cognitive treatment available, but her situation was getting worse. The family won approval for an emergency treatment with the Brainsway device. Brainsway carried out two weeks of treatment, directing the magnetic pulses at brain regions related to Alzheimer’s. The patient was given 60 pulses of TMS a day in half-hour treatments.
“The case study was very promising,” says Zangen. “The patient showed cognitive improvement in remembering names and in motoric exercises. When we tested her after treatment she was able to remember more family names and her score was in the normal range of memory for her age.” The patient did not, however, show total improvement in other aspects of memory and cognition. The company plans to carry out another longer-term study with the same patient. The family of the patient has now applied for permission to continue the trial with the Israeli Health Ministry.
Brainsway is also now about to sign an agreement with a well-known US laboratory that plans to carry out a study of the company’s device on patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and autism.
Documentary preview 1
Documentary preview 2
Documentary preview 3
Clinical trials so far:The prospect of manipulating our minds with machines has for decades been considered
a cybernetic fantasy belonging to the realm of literature and cinema, now, after
“softening up” by advances in science and science fiction, far fewer people find the
notion of neuro-enhancement troublesome. Its potential clients are not just the radicals
who long for a post-human future, but ordinary people who grew up in the information
age. Join us as MINDWARE aims to chronicle the first steps of an experiment set out to
provide genuine human benefit for the millions currently suffering from severe mental
disorders such as depression.
As our characters undergo the treatment, the film will as well lay out the cultural aspects this
experiment holds: The longing for an age when human beings will leave the miseries and limits
of the body behind, and achieve new ecstasies of freedom and control has been expressed in
many artworks, literature, and cinema.
In the summer of 1947, the brilliant American mathematician Norbert Wiener coined the term
cybernetics—derived from the Greek for “steersman”. In 1960, at the height of interest in
cybernetics, the word cyborg—short for “cybernetic organism”—was coined by researcher
Manfred E. Clynes. The term referred to a theoretical consideration of various ways in which
fragile human bodies could be technologically adapted and improved to better withstand the
rigors of space exploration.
MINDWARE will produce two “visionary” scenes in which we’ll include an interview with a
leading futurist and an illustration imagery that will cinematically support his visions. We'll
present one utopian and one dystopian visions. These future prospects will add an in depth
cultural layer to the film and will situate this experiment somewhere between the fantastic
and the real therapeutic value of assisting people who suffer from depression.
Evaluation of the H1-Coil Deep TMS in the Treatment of Negative Symptoms and Cognitive Deficit in Schizophrenia
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in Schizophrenia
Efficacy and Safety of the Hcoil Deep TMS for the Treatment of Cannabis Addiction
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)- Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Repetitive Transcranial Stimulation (r-TMS) Treatment for Patients With Parkinson's Disease
Evaluation of the H-Coil Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Device in the Treatment of Bipolar Depression
Evaluation of Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) H-Coil in the Treatment of Major Depression
More news stories:
Deep TMS
Deep TMS
Scientific papers:
A randomized controlled feasibility and safety study of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation
Three-Dimensional Distribution of the Electric Field Induced in the Brain by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Using Figure-8 and Deep H-Coils
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Deep Brain Regions.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation of deep brain regions: evidence for efficacy of the H-coil.
Book:
Deep TMS
Edited by hrc579, 21 March 2008 - 03:02 AM.
