May 13, 2020
Dr. Therese Markow talks with psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Daniel Blumberger about depression that does not respond to medications and behavioral cognitive therapy. Approximately one third of patients suffering from major depression are “Treatment Resistant”.
Fortunately, there are a range of brain stimulation techniques that help the majority of these patients. Electroconvulsive therapy or ETC, has evolved into a much more benign procedure than depicted earlier in movies and has the best outcomes in patients with major depression. New techniques, involving stimulation of the brain magnetically, such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) also can be effective and are being refined for broader use. Depression is a serious and sometimes fatal disease, and there is hope for those resistant to pharmaceutical approaches.
Key Takeaways:
"It is very important to intervene early when someone isn’t responding to medication. The more treatments that someone doesn’t respond to, the less likely that they will respond to each subsequent course of treatment. The longer things linger, the harder it is to get someone better." — Dr. Daniel Blumberger
Connect with Dr. Daniel Blumberger:
CAMH Profile: Dr. Daniel Blumberger
Connect with Therese:
Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net
Twitter: @CritiSpeak
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
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