Other Somatic Treatments

Psychiatric treatment may include a variety of other physical treatments:

      • TMS / Transcranial magnetic stimulation: This type of treatment consists of applying a magnetic field to a specific part of the brain through the skull. Though approved by the FDA as safe, this remains an experimental approach for treatment of patients with chronic mild to moderate depression or anxiety.
      • VNS / Vagus nerve stimulation: This type of treatment consists of connecting a battery-powered computer to the vagus nerve through a small incision. The stimulation, which is carefully adjusted, continues for a year or more and can offer improvement to patients with chronic depressions that have had little or no response to other kinds of treatment.
      • DBS / Deep brain stimulation: This type of treatment consists of connecting a battery-powered computer to a carefully selected tiny portion of the brain. Stimulation, carefully adjusted over time, can offer improvement to patients with chronic conditions that have had little or no response to other methods, such as Tourette’s syndrome.
      • ECT / EST / Convulsive treatments: Electroconvulsive therapy is known also as electroseizure therapy and as electroshock therapy. This treatment was introduced in the late 1930’s and has evolved and modernized as have other aspects of treatment. The treatment is now delivered via one of several computerized devices. The careful use of the new device prevents the awful side effects that occurred in the past. This treatment is used in approximately 0.04% of inpatients each year. This percentage has not changed in the last several decades.
      • Psychosurgery: This is a form of brain surgery. It is performed extremely rarely at only two centers in the United States. Extreme care is used to select patients for this type of intervention.