COMPARATIVE
Neurotherapy
VS Conventional Therapies
Depression
Depression significantly affects quality of life, causing mental and physical suffering. Compare the effectiveness of conventional treatments with our advanced neurological approaches.
Important
It is important to note that the improvements only relate to the direct symptoms of depression, and the patient's general clinical condition is disregarded. Side effects are disregarded from the improvement rates, as long as they don't prevent improvement in the symptoms of depression. Therapies such as EMT/TMS fulfil the need to treat the illness alongside the patient, rather than treating the illness to the detriment of their general well-being. This page contains relevant background information on Depression and the treatments offered. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses focussed magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain associated with depression. This non-invasive treatment demonstrates superior efficacy compared to antidepressant drugs, especially in cases resistant to conventional treatments. TMS does not have the common side effects of medication, such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction or drowsiness.
✓ Fast results
Many patients report the first improvements within the first few weeks of treatment, while medication can take 5-7 weeks.
✓ Duration of Effect
The positive effects of TMS can last from 6 months to 1 year after treatment, with periodic maintenance sessions. In many cases, using psychotherapeutic approaches, it is possible to achieve complete remission of symptoms
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain results from lesions or dysfunctions in the nervous system and is often resistant to conventional painkillers. Compare the effectiveness of treatments.
Important
It's worth noting that these statistics only consider improvements of more than 50% in the frequency and intensity of pain. Improvements of 20, 30, 40% are extremely relevant in the treatment of conditions such as Neuropathic Pain. This section contains relevant background information on Neuropathic Pain and the treatments presented. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applies a low-intensity electric current to modulate neuronal activity in specific areas of the brain. This non-invasive treatment has been shown to significantly reduce neuropathic pain by adjusting the neural circuits involved in pain perception and processing, offering relief where conventional medications fail.
✓ No Significant Side Effects
Unlike many neuropathic pain medications, tDCS does not cause sedation, addiction or liver toxicity.
✓ Personalised treatment
Stimulation can be adjusted specifically to your type of neuropathic pain and location, maximising results.
Migraine
Migraines can be debilitating, significantly affecting quality of life. Compare the effectiveness of conventional treatments with our advanced neurological approaches.
Important
It's important to note that the data presented refers only to the reduction in the frequency of episodes (MMD). EMT/TMS also affects the intensity of the pain. This section contains relevant background information on Migraine and the treatments presented. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
TMS for migraines focuses on brain areas involved in pain and migraine processes. This non-drug treatment has been shown to be effective in both the prevention and treatment of acute crises, reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of migraines in patients who do not respond to conventional treatments.
✓ Frequency reduction
Patients report an average reduction of 45% in the frequency of migraines after a full course of treatment.
✓ Long-term relief
Many patients maintain the benefits for 3-6 months after the end of the treatment cycle. In some cases, complete temporary remission of symptoms or even definitive remission is possible.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is characterised by widespread pain and tenderness at multiple points in the body and is often resistant to conventional treatments.
Important
This section contains relevant background information on Fibromyalgia and the treatments presented. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
The combined approach of TMS and tDCS aims to modulate pain pathways and improve damaged sensory processing in fibromyalgia. This specific protocol shows superior results to conventional drugs, reducing generalised pain, improving sleep quality and reducing the fatigue associated with fibromyalgia.
✓ Comprehensive Relief
The treatment not only reduces pain, but also improves other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances and mental clarity.
✓ Reducing the Use of Medicines
More than 70% of patients manage to reduce their pain medication very significantly after treatment.
Insomnia
Chronic insomnia profoundly affects physical and mental health, contributing to the development of various conditions and reducing quality of life.
Important
It's important to note that the treatment of Insomnia brings with it a determining factor - the risk of addiction. Neurotherapy solves this problem. The intensive and prolonged use of sleep drugs has severe consequences that should be avoided. This section contains relevant background information on Insomnia and the treatments presented. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
TMS acts on the brain regions responsible for controlling sleep and circadian rhythm. This non-drug treatment normalises altered brain activity patterns in patients with insomnia, improving both sleep quality and total time slept, without the side effects and risks of dependence associated with hypnotic drugs.
✓ Improved Sleep Quality
Patients report not only more sleep, but also more restful and restorative sleep.
✓ No Risk of Dependence
Unlike many insomnia medications, TMS does not cause dependence or tolerance, even with prolonged use.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects attention, impulse control and activity. Compare the effectiveness of ADHD treatments.
Important
Treatment with TMS is often used to improve the ability to concentrate and reduce impulsivity in ADHD, especially in adults. The percentages of remission with medication reflect its continuous use. Neurotherapy offers a non-systemic alternative with fewer side effects. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a health professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) focuses on modulating activity in the prefrontal cortex (often the right DLPFC), a key area for executive function and attention control. This treatment can restore the balance of neural activity, improving the ability to focus and reducing hyperactivity and impulsivity without the need for daily medication.
✓ Reducing Dependency
It allows medication to be reduced or eliminated, avoiding dependency and systemic side effects.
✓ Cognitive Benefit
It promotes improvements in executive function, working memory and processing speed, which are essential for academic and professional success.
Smoking
Smoking is a complex addiction with high relapse rates. Compare the effectiveness of the conventional approach versus neuromodulation in the cessation process.
Important
The success rate in smoking is closely linked to the intensity of the craving. TMS acts directly on the brain networks involved in reward and addiction. Treatment is most effective when combined with psychological counselling. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a health professional.
How does our treatment work?
TMS targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and reward circuits; in deep TMS, specific protocols also include the insula. By modulating these networks, TMS reduces the desire to smoke, facilitates abstinence and reduces the long-term relapse rate, offering a non-systemic intervention.
✓ Attacking Craving
It acts directly on the brain's addiction pathways, reducing the physical desire to smoke.
✓ No Adverse Reactions
The treatment avoids the common systemic adverse reactions of some cessation drugs.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD/TSPT)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD/TSPT) is characterised by intrusive memories and hypervigilance. Compare the effectiveness of treatments.
Important
PTSD is characterised by changes in the brain's excitability. TMS focuses on rebalancing this excitability, especially in the areas of emotional memory and mood regulation. The ideal treatment should combine neuromodulation and trauma-focused psychological therapy. It's crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses magnetic pulses to modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex (often the right) and, indirectly, limbic circuits. The aim is to reduce the hyperexcitability associated with anxiety, hypervigilance and traumatic memories, promoting greater emotional regulation.
✓ Anxiety Relief
Reduction of intrusive memories and startle response, allowing greater comfort in everyday life.
✓ Sleep improvement
It helps restore healthy sleep patterns, often interrupted by nightmares and nocturnal hypervigilance.
Post-stroke (Neurological Recovery)
Recovery after a stroke can be a long-lasting challenge. Compare the effectiveness of conventional rehabilitation with neuromodulation approaches.
Important
tDCS accelerates and potentiates the gains of conventional rehabilitation by modulating brain plasticity. It is most effective when integrated into the rehabilitation programme. The aim is to reactivate the damaged area or have other areas take over the lost function. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a healthcare professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applies a low-intensity current to increase the excitability (plasticity) of the brain hemisphere affected by the stroke and/or decrease the excitability of the unaffected hemisphere (which inhibits it). This process accelerates neuronal reorganisation, enhancing motor and language recovery when combined with therapy.
✓ Enhances Rehabilitation
It works like a 'turbo' for neuroplasticity, making rehabilitation sessions more productive.
✓ Time Window
Although most effective in the first few months, tDCS can induce improvements even in chronic phases (after 6 months of the stroke).
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) imposes obsessions and rituals that cause great suffering. Compare the effectiveness of treatments.
Important
OCD is an often refractory condition. Neurotherapy offers an alternative for cases that don't respond to the maximum combination of SSRIs (medication) and CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy). CBT acts on the fronto-striatal circuits that sustain obsessions and compulsions. It is crucial to discuss your specific case with a health professional.
How does our treatment work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) targets neural networks (anterior cingulate cortex and DLPFC) that are hyperactive in OCD and that feed the obsession-compulsion cycle. By normalising activity in these areas, TMS reduces the intensity and frequency of obsessions and the need to perform compulsive rituals, reducing the patient's suffering.
✓ Non-Invasive and Focussed
It allows treatment focussed on dysfunctional brain networks, without the systemic effects of drugs.
✓ Refractory cases
Highly recommended for patients who have failed treatment with medication and psychological therapy.
Sources
- K. Cress, MD, 2015
- Dalhuisen I, van Oostrom I, Spijker J, Wijnen B, van Exel E, van Mierlo H, de Waardt D, Arns M, Tendolkar I, van Eijndhoven P. rTMS as a Next Step in Antidepressant Nonresponders: A Randomised Comparison With Current Antidepressant Treatment Approaches. Am J Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 1;181(9):806-814. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230556. Epub 2024 Aug 7. PMID: 39108161.
- Dunner DL, Aaronson ST, Sackeim HA, Janicak PG, Carpenter LL, Boyadjis T, Brock DG, Bonneh-Barkay D, Cook IA, Lanocha K, Solvason HB, Demitrack MA. A multisite, naturalistic, observational study of transcranial magnetic stimulation for patients with pharmacoresistant major depressive disorder: durability of benefit over a 1-year follow-up period. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Dec;75(12):1394-401. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08977. PMID: 25271871.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25271871/
- Nguyen KH, Gordon LG. Cost-Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation versus Antidepressant Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Value Health. 2015 Jul;18(5):597-604. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2015.04.004. PMID: 26297087.
- Demitrack MA, Thase ME. Clinical significance of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of pharmacoresistant depression: synthesis of recent data. Psychopharmacol Bull. 2009;42(2):5-38. PMID: 19629020.
- Avery DH, Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Fawaz W, Russo J, Neumaier J, Dunner DL, Haynor DR, Claypoole KH, Wajdik C, Roy-Byrne P. A controlled study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in medication-resistant major depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Jan 15;59(2):187-94. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.07.003. Epub 2005 Sep 1. PMID: 16139808.
- CHUC - ULS Coimbra Neuromodulation Unit
Clinical practice: ⅔ of patients show significant improvement; no significant side effects; significant total remission (exact data unknown)
- Marilyn J. Vachè,Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in a Severely Treatment Resistant Population- A Retrospective Private Practice Evaluation,Brain Stimulation,Volume 8, Issue 5,2015,Page e6,ISSN 1935-861X,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2015.07.021.
- Mountain Vista, retrospective clinical analysis
- Portuguese Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health
- WHO
- NIH, USA
- Effect of Insomnia on Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment Outcomes for Depression, Jamie Kweon, Andrew Fukuda, Polly Gobin, Lamaan Haq, Joshua C. Brown, Linda L. CarpentermedRxiv 2023.12.06.23299444; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.06.23299444
