Dr. Sanil Rege, Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder of Psych Scene and Psych Scene Hub speaks to Dr. Martijn Arns, Chief Scientific Adviser, neuroCare Group; Founding Director & Senior Researcher at Research Institute Brainclinics.

Author Quote

In my view, I think we are really [in psychiatry and psychology] facing a paradox shift. I think we are moving to a place which used to be dominated by the neurotransmitter models, the pharmacology model, in terms of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other drugs. I the think what we’ve been finding out more and more, is that there is this homeostatic process where if you put something into the body for a long time, the body will adapt to it.

Take-home Messages

• The problem of treatment-resistance could be addressed using the new model of neuromodulation which entails deep brain stimulation
• Rather than developing homeostatic drive, neuromodulation taps into neuroplasticity, rewiring neural circuitry through learning
• Since 2010, research and development has been largely withdrawn from the field of psychiatry stalling the development of new antidepressants
• The brain cannot only be fixed through pharmacology and we need different techniques that are more targeted
• Neuromodulation techniques are a powerful way of interfering with brain activity with possibly fewer side effects than current therapeutic drugs.

Quiz

Learn more

1. New Developments in Neuromodulation & Stimulation in Psychiatry – Dr Martjin Arns
2. Neurofeedback and The Role of Sleep in Psychiatric Disorders – Dr Martjin Arns
3. Number of Sessions & Pulses Required for Optimal Results of rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns
4. The Potential Side Effects of rTMS – Dr.Martjin Arns
5. Localising The Exact Point of Maximum Stimulation For rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns
6. The Principle Behind Choosing The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex for rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns
7. Key Differences Between High Frequency & Low Frequency rTMS Protocols – Dr. Martjin Arns
8. Typical Response & Remission Rates of rTMS in Treatment Resistant Cases – Dr. Martijn Arns
9. Key Differences Between rTMS and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) – Dr. Martijn Arns
10. Clinical Indications for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) – Dr. Martijn Arns
11. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Depression – Conversations with Dr. Martijn Arns, Neuromodulation Expert
12. How Did You Get Interested in the Field of Neuromodulation? – Conversations with Dr. Martijn Arns, Neuromodulation Expert