October 20, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government has approved the first
noninvasive brain stimulator to treat depression.

The device beams magnetic pulses through the skull. The pulses
trigger small electrical charges that spark brain cells to fire.

It's called transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS and doesn't
cause the risks of surgically implanted electrodes or the treatment
of last resort, shock therapy.

But TMS isn't for everyone. The Food and Drug Administration
approved Neuronetics' NeuroStar therapy specifically for patients
who had no relief from their first anti-depressant, offering them a
different option than trying pill after pill.

A study found patients did modestly better when treated with TMS
than when they unknowingly received a sham treatment that mimicked
the magnet.

A more expansive independent study is under way.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)