Dr. Hugo Romeu

TMS project in Miami, Florida Conducted by RCE Group - Dr. Hugo Romeu

TMS project in Miami, Florida Conducted by RCE Group

Hugo Romeu - TMS project in Miami, Florida Conducted by RCE Group

 

RCE Group USA LLC

25 SE 2nd Ave Suite 818

Miami, FL 33131

August 17th, 2024

Subject: TMS Project in Miami, Florida Conducted by RCE Group

The RCE team is in the process of selecting a Principal Investigator with documented experience in the use of TMS for treatment of the aforementioned disorders. The study design will include 100 patients and 3 health care facilities under current treatment of concurrent depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and PTSD. A psychiatric and neurologic evaluation of the baseline entry will be determined along with cohort randomization.

The hypothesis theorizes that TMS may substitute drug therapy with a successful end result. All of the TMS therapy will be conducted at an RCE-affiliated facility in Florida.

Cognitive Safety

EBS is considered safe with minimal adverse neurological or physical effects. A study by Fitzgerald et al. showed that there were no significant cognitive declines in patients undergoing TMS, thus supporting its safety for long-term use.

Literature Review: Electromagnetic Brain Stimulation for Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Introduction

Recently, there has been great interest in electromagnetic brain stimulation (including techniques like trans-cranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive therapy) as a plausible treatment for most neuropsychiatric disorders listed in the DSM-V. In this review, it is aimed to aggregate the available studies on EBS related to the effectiveness and mechanisms in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and more.

Mechanism of Action

EBS can influence neuronal activity through the use of electromagnetic fields. According to Huang et al. (2019), TMS is capable of inducing changes in neuroplasticity, thus improving synaptic connections and neurotransmitter functions essential for cognitive and emotional regulation.

Applications under Different Conditions

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

It has been previously demonstrated that TMS has the ability to enhance cognitive function among patients with AD. For instance, Zhao et al. reported that AD patients after treatment with TMS were able to perform remarkably well in memory and executive functions, hence speaking for its protective effect on neural pathways following therapeutic intervention.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

TMS has been found to improve dopaminergic function and motor symptoms in the course of PD. Rossi et al. (2012) have shown that TMS improved motor scores and general quality of life in patients with PD, possibly through increased dopamine activity stimulated within the brain.

Depression

TMS has been studied extensively in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In a meta-analysis conducted by Koch et al. (2020), it is revealed that TMS drastically reduces depressive symptoms, has long-lasting effects, and fewer side effects compared to traditional antidepressant medications.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Studies have investigated the use of TMS to improve social behaviors in ASD participants. Pineda et al. suggested that rTMS over areas of the prefrontal cortex can improve a patient’s social interaction who has a diagnosis of ASD and reduce repetitive behaviors.

Bipolar Disorder

It has also been observed that TMS can hold some promise in managing depressive episodes of bipolar disorder. A study by Lang et al. in 2023 found that TMS significantly stabilized mood and decreased depressive symptoms among bipolar patients, therefore establishing the efficacy of this new adjunct therapy.

Cognitive Safety

EBS is considered safe with minimal adverse effects on cognition. A study by Fitzgerald et al. showed that there were no significant cognitive declines in patients undergoing TMS over long-term use.

Cerebral Blood Flow

EBS is shown to have the ability to impact cerebral blood flow, which can be considered as paving the way toward those therapeutic effects. George et al. mentioned that TMS increased regional blood flow inside the brain that might enhance general brain function and health.

Combined Methods: ECT and TMS

Given the desire to maximize the outcomes of treatments related to major psychiatric disorders, a combination of ECT with TMS has been explored. A review by Blumberger et al. (2021) found that combined protocols for ECT and TMS showed improved symptomatic reductions for depression and psychosis compared to either treatment alone.

Conclusion

TMS has long-term potential in treating a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. Its therapeutic potentials lie in neuroplasticity enhancement, neurotransmitter modulation, and improvement in cerebral blood flow. It is relatively safe; however, there is a great need for future research to match protocols that tailor the treatment process and clearly define the long-term effects of brain stimulation. Future studies underway should go on to establish the efficacy of combination EBS therapies on diverse patient groups.

References

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  2. Ross JM, Cline CC, Sarkar M, Truong J, Keller CJ. Neural effects of TMS trains on the human prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 20;13(1):22700. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49250-7. PMID: 38123591; PMCID: PMC10733322.
  3. Speer AM, Repella JD, Figueras S, Demian NK, Kimbrell TA, Wasserman EM, Post RM. Lack of adverse cognitive effects of 1 Hz and 20 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at 100% of motor threshold over left prefrontal cortex in depression. J ECT. 2001 Dec;17(4):259-63. doi: 10.1097/00124509-200112000-00005. PMID: 11731727.
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