New Type of Brain Stimulation Could Shorten Treatment Time for Bipolar Disorder

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 11, 2024.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 11, 2024 -- Powerful magnetic stimulation can help treat people with bipolar disorder, according to results from a small trial.

The therapy, called accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation, involves magnetic waves delivered to specific regions of the brain using an electromagnetic coil placed against the scalp.

This form of transcranial magnetic stimulation has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat major depressive disorder, researchers noted.

Now, this new study involving 24 depressed patients with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder has shown that the therapy also can ease bipolar symptoms.

The magnetic therapy “offers a new potential therapy for depressed patients with bipolar disorder who may not respond well to drugs or cannot tolerate their side effects while also significantly shortening the treatment window,” said Dr. Yvette Sheline, director of the Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

People with bipolar disorder swing between severe depression and manic episodes marked by symptoms like uncontrollable racing thoughts, restlessness or feelings or euphoria, researchers said in background notes.

Current treatments for bipolar include mood-stabilizing drugs like lithium and talk therapy methods like cognitive behavioral therapy.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses a magnetic field to send an electric current to a targeted brain area, researchers said. It’s thought that the stimulation alters brain wave patterns, leading to decreased depression symptoms.

For this study, the bipolar patients were randomly assigned to receive either real or sham magnetic therapy, with neither the patients nor the study team knowing who received active treatment.

The therapy was delivered for five days with 10 sessions per day, once an hour.

The average depression score in the group that received magnetic stimulation fell from 30 to 11, on a scale running from zero to 60, results show.

Those who received sham treatment showed little improvement, with a score of 28 before therapy and 25 after.

“This means that those who received active treatment had a substantial decrease in their depression symptoms compared to those who received sham stimulation,” the researchers said in a university news release.

The results need to be replicated in larger studies involving more people, Sheline said.

The new study was published July 10 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Sources

  • University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, news release, July 10, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-07-12 03:15

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords