TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS) - A DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL FROM NEUROLOGY AS A THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRY

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used since a decade t o investigate the central motor system in the neurological routine dia gnostic. From this experience TMS has proved to be a save and well tol erated procedure. In the past few years several studies investigated T MS to electrically stimulate deeper brain regions to find antidepressi ve effects in analogy to electro convulsive therapy (ECT). This could be of great advantage as TMS is well tolerated and does not require ge neral anesthesia. There have been some case reports and also some cont rolled clinical studies on TMS as a therapeutic tool. The results of t hese studies have been promising. Many questions regarding technical a nd clinical aspects remain to be answered. In the future however TMS c ould be a valuable addition in the treatment of depression.