New therapy for treatment of depression

NEARLY 500,000 PATIENTS SAID TO BE SUFFERING FROM CONDITION IN THE UAE

Nearly 500,000 residents in the UAE are estimated to be suffering from depression, and the prevalence of the condition is expected to increase worldwide over the next decade, mental health experts said in the capital yesterday.

In order to effectively treat the condition, a relatively new method known as transcranial magnetic stimulation ( TMS) therapy has therefore been introduced.

The treatment uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain responsible for depression. Such stimulation eases depression symptoms.

“Depression is a common mental disorder worldwide. In the UAE, the rate of mental illnesses has doubled in the last decade, similar to rates of increase in developing countries,” said Dr Yousuf Abu Allaban, chief executive officer and consultant psychiatrist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology ( ACPN).

“We are therefore introducing TMS therapy, one of the safest modes of non- invasive treatment, at our centres in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and we hope it will benefit patients suffering from moderate and severe forms of depression,” he added at a press conference held to launch the treatment.

The therapy is widely used in the United States since it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) in 2008. According to statistics cited at the conference, 600 psychiatrists use TMS therapy to effectively treat about 20,000 patients across the

Treating depression is especially important because it is so closely correlated with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.” Dr Adel Karrani Medical director, American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology

world. The treatment is especially prescribed in cases where antidepressant medication is not effective on its own, and in patients suffering from severe depression, Dr Adel Karrani, medical director and psychiatrist at the ACPN, told Gulf News.

|

Link with chronic diseases

“Treating depression is especially important because it is so closely correlated with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact, depression can make patients more prone to chronic diseases, and chronic diseases can also make people depressed.

“In fact, the bulk of our patients at the ACPN, namely, 50 to 70 per cent, approach us for the treatment of depression,” he said.

TMS therapy can be used for patients aged 18 to 65, and has minimal side effects when administered carefully.

“We are also working with insurance companies in order to ensure that they cover treatment for patients,” Dr Karrani said.