PSG IMSR&H initiates rTMS workshop

Recently the Psychiatry department of PSG institute of medical sciences & research and PSG hospitals organized a workshop on ‘Neuromodulation in psychiatry – focusing on Hands-on training in repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and advanced ECT therapeutics’.

As many as 50 participants including PSG students, faculty members, PSG alumni, and psychiatrists from various parts of south India and abroad took part in the workshop.

Dr.J.S.Bhuvaneswaran, Director of PSG Super Specialty Hospital, presided over the inaugural function and spoke about the importance of continuing medical education, updating oneself on the recent advances in treatment, and upskilling oneself in those treatment methods.

Dr.G.Raghuthaman, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry PSG hospitals, in his address, welcomed the gathering and spoke about rTMS, how it works by applying a magnetic field to specific regions of the brain, and its effectiveness in successfully treating depression even in patients who don’t improve with antidepressants.

Guest speaker Dr.K.Muralidharan, Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, gave a lecture on various types of Non-invasive brain stimulation, different types of rTMS machines, a basic principle of rTMS treatment, its indications, contraindications, safety, and precautions to be taken while giving rTMS to patients.

Guest speaker Dr.Preeti.V.Reddy, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, highlighted the scientific evidence available for rTMS in treating various psychiatric disorders like Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and OCD. She also spoke about ongoing research in the utilization of rTMS.

Dr.K.Muralidharan and Dr.Preeti.V.Reddy, during the technical session, provided every participant with hands-on experience on how to operate an rTMS machine and to apply rTMS to patients.