A new therapy for PTSD, treatment-resistant depression and other mood disorders for Canadian Armed Forces and first responders is now available in Surrey.
The new treatment and clinical trial is offered in partnership with Brainstim Health to eligible individuals at the Centre for Clinical Excellence for Veterans and First Responders Health at the Legion Veterans Village in Whalley.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive therapy that helps "rewire your brain," said Richard Pucci, chief operating officer of Brainstim Health. It is approved by Health Canada and the FDA for mood disorders and treatment-resistant depression.
The clinical trials will explore the effectiveness of TMS therapy for veterans with complex health needs and how it reduces chronic pain, PTSD symptoms and concussion-related symptoms.
"It helps rewire the brain by sending these pulses of magnetization into the brain. It's very similar to what all these psychotropic drugs do to people's minds," Pucci said.
Pucci said that the MagStim rTMS Horizon 3 machine is the first of its kind in Canada. The machine was operational in time for Remembrance Week 2024.
"The machine is like putting a baseball cap on your head," he said. "And each protocol differs depending upon the patient's requirements. So right now, we're looking at a 10-minute magnetization period."
"You do this up to three to four times per day over a five-day period, and this is all clinically controlled," he added. There are psychiatrists and doctors available on site, as well as a technician who places leads on the client's head and starts the treatment.
Patients often "notice a difference" by the end of the first week of treatment, Pucci said.
Veterans Affairs approves up to 90 sessions per year for eligible individuals.
"If you've been diagnosed with PTSD, depression associated with PTSD, you can go for a psychiatric referral, and then you can gain access to the treatment," Pucci said.
"We want veterans to get well. We want them to have wellness, meaningful lives, post-military life, and one of the biggest challenges is access to mental health services. So we're trying to reduce that gap and lag time when you're waiting to get into the OSI (operational stress injury) clinic or waiting to see a psychiatrist," Pucci said.
For more information, visit vfrh.ca/transcranial-ms.
