South Coast Private Hospital recently introduced Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for patients with severe depression for whom other treatments and medications have not worked.

Dr Irwin Pakula, the mental health facility’s chief medical superintendent, said the treatment had initially been designed as an alternative to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

‘’About 25 years ago researchers were looking at stimulating parts of the brain, parts of the nervous system with machines and rather than electrical stimulation they started looking at magnetic stimulation,’’ he said.

‘’They were looking at the treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s but an accidental finding was that some of the patients seemed to get better in terms of depression.

‘’So psychiatrists picked it up about 15 years ago and started trialling it as an alternative to ECT, which has to be done under an anaesthetic and can cause some memory problems.’’

Dr Pakula and other psychiatrists at the Wollongong facility have undertaken training in rTMS with the Black Dog Institute based at Prince of Wales Hospital.

He said South Coast Private, recently acquired by Healthe Care, was now the only facility in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven to offer the treatment.

Patients sit in a comfortable chair while magnetic fields – generated by a simple coil placed on their head – are used to stimulate a small area on the surface of the brain.

‘’In the last five years the equipment used to produce the electromagnetism has improved remarkably,’’ Dr Pakula said.

‘’Research has also advanced so we not only know the exact place in the brain to treat depression, but the way to do measurements on each patient’s head to find the right spot, which is the size of a 50 cent piece.

‘’We also know what threshold to use, what power is needed in the magnet, to get the best improvements in depression.’’

Dr Pakula said the hospital had been delivering the treatment to inpatients for the past three weeks. Patients must have private health insurance or be prepared to self fund.

‘’The treatment takes around 45 minutes a session, with a series of 20 sessions over four weeks, and so far the results have been very positive,’’ he said.

‘’Long-term studies have shown a very good response rate – with 60 to 70 per cent of people showing improvement, while a fair number of people will recover completely.’’

The treatment is not painful according to Dr Pakula who has trialled it himself, and has minimal side effects, such as a slight headache.

South Coast Private Hospital will be holding a community information session on Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on August 22, from 6-8pm. RSVP on 1800 250 000.