BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio — The Food and Drug Administration approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, for depression back in 2008. Since then, it's been approved for obsessive-compulsive disorder, headaches, and even used to help people stop smoking.
It's a drug-free, non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression and other brain-related conditions. It's typically used when other treatments for depression, such as medication, have not been effective.
Six years ago, the state of Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services began funding eTMS Ohio thanks to legislation passed for veterans.
Who qualifies?
Ohio House Bill 110 of the 134th General Assembly directed the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to establish a pilot program to make electroencephalogram-combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (eTMS) available for veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers with substance use disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injuries, sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder; and accompanying comorbidities, concussions, or other brain trauma; or other issues identified by the individual's qualified medical practitioner as issues that would warrant treatment under the program.
Bob DiSanto is a 27-year veteran firefighter who has Lucy, an emotional support dog. He's seen more tragedy in the line of duty than most people would see in a lifetime.
"The average person goes through about four to six traumatic events in their lifetime," DiSanto said. "First responders go through double that in a year."
People can only compartmentalize emotional trauma for so long.
"You keep pushing it down and pushing it down," he explained, "but eventually it's going spring loose."
DiSanto decided to try eTMS, and the electroencephalogram technology separates it from similar forms of therapy.
"That is mapping the brain which allows us to do precision guided TMS, which gives us tremendous results and separates us from standard TMS," Joe Charles, CEO of JLC Services INC., the company bringing the technology to centers in Ohio, said. On Thursday, D2 Human Performance Center in Broadview Heights became the seventh center to open in the state.
The therapy consists of 20 15-minute sessions over a month period. Patients are followed for a year and are given fitness watches so their sleep cycles can be monitored. A nurse checks in with them at intervals over that one-year period to determine if any repeat sessions are necessary.
The process begins with electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (EKG) tests that measure brain wave frequencies, heart rate, and brain-heart coherence. Brain waves, or the intrinsic alpha frequency, are measured to determine the frequency setting for the magnet. The patient sits comfortably in a chair while the magnet is matched to their frequency, and essentially syncs chaotic neurons back into correct rhythm.
"It's all about communication and the brain, it's all about the neurons moving at the same speed," Charles noted. "If you look at a radio signal and it gets just a little bit distorted, a lot of times that's what's happening in the brain.
Charles says they have 50 to 60 patients treated daily, and there is a waitlist in some areas. So far, they've treated more than 700 patients.
"The first legislation had only veterans," Charles told 3News. "Based on our results with the veterans, the state expanded the program to include first responders and law enforcement officers. We are managed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services."
He added that they are required to report data to the state. The most recent numbers found that, out of 538 patients, 59% reported better sleep, 60% had less cravings for opiates, 58% had less cravings for alcohol, 64% reported fewer symptoms of depression, and 65% reported fewer symptoms of PTSD.
"The biggest thing you see is anger issues seem to go away," Charles said.
DiSanto confirmed his mood has improved and even colors have appeared brighter, but the biggest benefit for him was finally getting sleep.
"I haven't had a good night's sleep in 26 years," he said, "so it's nice to have a good night's sleep."
There is now a mobile unit available that will be taken to police or fire departments who request it so first responders can get easier access to treatment. This will help reach those in more rural areas.
D2 Human Performance Center may soon be taking insurance and be able to offer treatment to civilians, but for now, it's only for veterans and first responders who fit the appropriate criteria. The center also features cryotherapy, a dry sauna, red light therapy, compression boots, and a neuro-muscular chair.
Call (614) 665-7905 for more information.