TMS vs. tDCS | Fisher Wallace Is Not TMS Therapy
TMS vs tDCS Fisher Wallace Is Not TMS Therapy. One might confuse TMS therapy with Fisher Wallace Stimulator as both are directed towards stimulating the brain, causing neuromodulation. However, one thing remains a fact; a Fisher Wallace Stimulator is not TMS therapy. Instead, it is a device for tDCS, just like you would find other tDCS equipment in the market.
What is tDCS?
Transcranial direct current stimulation has a low-level electrical current (DC) that is applied through the electrodes on the individual’s head, targeting the brain’s superficial most layers.
Although the procedure does not stimulate action potential, it does enable the cortex of the brain as it shifts the resting potential of the neural membranes.
Moreover, anodal stimulation is supposed to develop depolarization and improve the excitability of the neurons. At the same time, hyperpolarization would be caused by the cathodal stimulation decreasing the excitability of the cortex.
Is tDCS Effective for Mental Health Conditions?
Scientific evidence has been out there for the antidepressant effects of the tDCS since 2006 when over ten randomized controlled trials were published in the context, and a multitude of open-labelled case reports and studies were noted. However, it was soon side-lined when in 2011, meta-analyses of the technique inferred the fact that active tDCS manifested little to no superiority in comparison to the sham condition. Another trial indicated the method to be superior to placebo for treatments when combined with antidepressants.
Researchers from Europe also investigated the medical use of the technique to treat neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease. The research group worked on finding the positive effects of the tDCS for tinnitus, consciousness disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease, schizophrenia, depression, craving, addiction, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-stroke aphasia, movement disorders, and pain.
The concluding remarks included that the probable efficacy of the technique was applicable to the following conditions:
- Major depressive episodes
- Craving and addiction
- Fibromyalgia
Why is TMS Effective?
The Fisher Wallace Stimulator deploys a low amplitude current for stimulating the neurons at the superficial level, making it a feebler derivative of the otherwise popular electroconvulsive therapy, not a transcranial magnetic stimulation derivative.
While the at-home brain stimulator having low amplitude electrical energy does not come having the same risks as a full-scale ECT, it is also not considered as a precise or powerful TMS therapy.
Research indicates the efficiency of the repetitive TMS for the treatment of depression as compared to the efficiency of the sham condition. Another study revealed beneficial effects of the repetitive TMS compliance of high frequency (20 MHz) for managing the clinical symptoms and the relevant cognitive dysfunction pertaining to schizophrenia.
The TMS therapy takes into account the actual measurements of the brain at an intricate level, calibrating detailed areas of the brain most affected by the mental health condition. Having placed multiple electrodes would not simply imply the same targeted effect.
What’s the Catch?
Moreover, TMS therapy is adjusted at a consistent level for meeting the changing needs of the brain as a patient advances through a prescribed cycle of treatment. The continual monitoring would mean that the professionals would be able to analyze the improvement in the brain over time and take necessary steps for optimizing the procedure along the way.
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