Rewiring Stroke Survivors Brains Could Alleviate Depression
upstart writes in with an IRC submission:
Rewiring stroke survivors brains could alleviate depression:
A trial led by UniSA stroke researcher Dr Brenton Hordacre has found that large doses of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) significantly improve post-stroke depression by increasing brain activity.
Previous studies have experimented with the use of rTMS but this is the first time that a large treatment dose -- 30,000 electromagnetic pulses delivered over two weeks -- have been trialled, showing positive changes in brain function.
The findings, published in the Journal of Neurology, could signal a non-invasive, alternative treatment for post-stroke depression in place of medication, which can have negative side effects for many people.
South Australians are set to benefit from this research with the brain stimulation device now available at UniSA's City West campus to treat stroke patients suffering depression.
The $40,000 brain stimulator, partly funded by the Honda Foundation, could also potentially improve motor recovery, helping stroke patients develop new connections in the damaged brain.
[...] The treatment will be officially launched in the new year.
Journal Reference:
Brenton Hordacre, Kristina Comacchio, Lindy Williams, et al. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke depression: a randomised trial with neurophysiological insight [$], Journal of Neurology (DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-10315-6)
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