What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?
When it comes to transcranial magnetic stimulation, one suddenly pictures shock therapy, torture chambers, teeth clenched on a stick and the muffled cries of a victim tied to an ancient electric chair. This could not be further from the truth.
The transcranial magnetic stimulation technique is still widely used to treat drug-resistant depression, and was subjected to many studies in the field of neuro-degenerative diseases. It works by sending light electrical shocks to the areas of the brain and it is distinct from direct current stimulation. The first type of stimulation is achieved by placing a magnet above the targeted area which will induce fast magnetic field changes and eventually an electric field in the brain. With the second one, it is indeed “shock therapy” as we know it, with the application of a direct electrical current through electrodes. Since neurons work with a potential for electrical action that gets transmitted by jumping over the axons’ myelin sheathing, the application of a current alters those functions and allows to diagnose conduction issues (such as with multiple sclerosis) or to treat diseases (such as depression) by rebooting neuronal networks.
