TMS Anxiety Treatment
General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Anxiety means continuous and excessive worry about everyday or long-term events. The stressful thoughts are unable to be controlled by a person and they, in turn, control the person leading to anxiety. Anxiety is part of our lives, but not all the time. Any person will feel anxious from time to time but that feeling goes away. That feeling of unconsciousness becomes anxiety when it becomes part of life and won’t go away. This leads to poor work and personal life performance.
The feeling of unease, worry or fear constitutes the general definition of anxiety. It could be severe or it could be mild.
Who gets anxiety
NHS figures show that GAD is a common condition, estimated to affect up to 5% of the UK population.
Slightly more women are affected than men, and the condition is more common in people from the ages of 35 to 59.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety presents with a spectrum of symptoms encompassing both physiological and psychological manifestations, which can differ among individuals. Typical symptoms include:
- Vertigo
- Cardiac palpitations
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Impaired focus
- Profuse perspiration
- Dyspnea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Nausea
- Muscle rigidity
TMS Treatment for Anxiety
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for anxiety involves using magnetic pulses to stimulate specific regions of the brain associated with anxiety regulation. By modulating neural activity in these areas, TMS helps restore balance to brain circuits involved in emotional processing, leading to symptom reduction and improved emotional regulation.
How Does it Work
Neuroplasticity: TMS may induce changes in neural plasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganise and adapt in response to experiences. By delivering magnetic pulses to targeted areas of the brain, TMS can stimulate neural circuits involved in emotional regulation, potentially leading to long-lasting changes in brain function that alleviate anxiety symptoms.
Regulation of Neural Circuits: Anxiety disorders are characterised by dysregulation of neural circuits involved in processing emotions, particularly those related to fear and threat. TMS can modulate the activity of these circuits, restoring balance and reducing excessive reactivity to stressors.
Neurotransmitter Modulation: TMS has been shown to influence the release and activity of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which play key roles in mood regulation and anxiety. By modulating neurotransmitter levels and activity, TMS aids in normalising brain function in individuals with anxiety disorders.
Normalisation of Brain Activity Patterns: Functional imaging studies (qEEG) have revealed abnormal patterns of brain activity in individuals with anxiety disorders, including hyperactivity in certain regions such as the amygdala (involved in fear processing) and hypoactivity in regions involved in cognitive control and emotion regulation. TMS can modulate these aberrant activity patterns, bringing them closer to those observed in healthy individuals.
TMS Treatment Benefits for Anxiety
Here are some of the potential benefits of TMS treatment for anxiety:
1. Non-Invasive: TMS is a non-invasive procedure, meaning it doesn’t require surgery or implantation of any devices. This makes it a safer option compared to some other treatments for anxiety.
2. Targeted Stimulation: TMS can be targeted to specific regions of the brain associated with anxiety disorders, such as the prefrontal cortex. By precisely targeting these areas, TMS may help regulate abnormal neural activity implicated in anxiety.
3. Minimal Side Effects: TMS typically has fewer side effects compared to medications used to treat anxiety, which often come with a range of potential adverse effects including weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
4. No Systemic Effects: Unlike medications, TMS doesn’t circulate throughout the body, so it doesn’t affect other systems or organs. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who may have comorbid medical conditions or who are sensitive to medication.
5. Reduced Reliance on Medications: For individuals who haven’t responded well to medication or who prefer to avoid long-term medication use, TMS offers an alternative treatment option that can potentially reduce or eliminate the need for pharmacotherapy.
6. Long-lasting Effects: While the precise duration of benefit varies from person to person, some studies suggest that the effects of TMS can persist beyond the treatment period, leading to sustained improvement in anxiety symptoms.
Check Your Eligibility
You can commence your eligibility process by adhering to our three-step treatment method outlined here.
Evidence Based Treatment
Low-frequency parietal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces fear and anxiety
The findings indicate that decreasing excitability in the IPS during shock threat effectively lowers physiological arousal associated with fear and anxiety. This supports earlier research that identified increased excitability in this area when facing threats. Furthermore, these outcomes imply that 1 Hz stimulation of the parietal region could be a promising approach for treating clinical anxiety, underscoring the need for further investigation in patients with anxiety. Published 2020 Source.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation in anxiety and trauma‐related disorders: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been assessed for its therapeutic potential in individuals with major depressive disorder, demonstrating effectiveness. Nonetheless, the research exploring TMS’s efficacy in treating other neuropsychiatric conditions, including anxiety and trauma-related disorders, remains sparse. This review encompasses an examination of existing literature on the application of TMS for the management of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
The findings from our meta-analysis indicate that TMS holds promise as a viable treatment option for Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Published 2019 Source.
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