Neuromodulation in Staten Island, NY
Treatment-resistant mental health disorders can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. Richmond University Medical Center offers another option in the form of neuromodulation. This advanced technique, which includes electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation, may provide relief where other treatments fail. Richmond University Medical Center’s Center for Integrative Behavioral Medicine serves patients throughout Staten Island, New York, helping them manage mental health effectively.
What Is Neuromodulation?
The nervous system is the body’s information network. Nerve impulses carry sensory information to the brain, where they can be processed. The brain responds by sending back impulses that govern muscle control, organ function, and more.
Neuromodulation is a cutting-edge medical technique that takes advantage of the nervous system’s natural function. It uses advanced technologies to deliver electrical shocks or pharmaceutical agents to a precise target area. The shock or agent changes, or modulates, nerve activity to achieve a desired effect. Neuromodulation can be used to create or even to repress nervous responses, making it an effective treatment for a variety of chronic pain conditions and behavioral health issues.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy, also called ECT, is a neuromodulation treatment for certain behavioral health concerns. It is typically performed under anesthesia, meaning that the patient is asleep during treatment and experiences no discomfort. While the patient is unconscious, an electrical current is used to induce a small, controlled seizure. The seizure alters brain chemistry to provide immediate and significant relief.
ECT is a proven treatment for a variety of mental health conditions. It is most often recommended for illness that has not responded to medications, or for patients who cannot take medications due to side effects, addiction, or other reasons. Richmond University Medical Center uses ECT to treat these conditions and others:
- Severe or treatment-resistant depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Severe mania
Richmond University Medical Center offers both inpatient and outpatient treatment options. The ECT team, psychiatrists, and patient work together to determine the appropriate setting, frequency, and duration of treatments. Both inpatient and outpatient ECT are administered under the close supervision of a trained anesthesiologist to ensure safety. Afterward, patients are monitored in a post-procedure recovery room to ensure the patient’s wellbeing.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is another effective treatment for behavioral health issues. This treatment involves placing an electromagnetic coil against the scalp. The coil produces magnetic impulses that stimulate nerve cells. TMS targets regions of the brain that decrease their activity during depression. By activating these regions, treatment effectively reduces symptoms.
TMS has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat with major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Continued research is being performed into other applications, including smoking cessation and epilepsy. It is only recommended for disorders that have not responded to medications, or for patients who cannot take medication. For these patients, however, TMS may provide significant relief when other treatments fail.
Richmond University Medical Center performs TMS on an outpatient basis. Patients receive treatment in a safe, comfortable, and monitored environment. Sessions last between 20 to 30 minutes, and they repeat in frequency as determined by the neuromodulation and psychiatry team.
Receive Neuromodulation Treatment in Staten Island, NY
When other treatments fail, neuromodulation may provide relief for major behavioral health concerns. Richmond University Medical Center offers this and other cutting-edge treatments at our state-of-the-art facility in Staten Island, NY. We are committed to our community’s mental health and continue to adopt new innovations for better treatment outcomes. To learn more about neuromodulation and its benefits, contact us today.
