Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Magnets make a difference for depression

Magnets could be used to help people suffering from depression. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina studied the technique of transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy which applies magnets to people's heads to stimulate certain parts of their brain. The study divided 190 people, who were depressed and had not responded to medication, into two groups. One group received the genuine treatment while another group received a sham 'placebo' treatment. 14% of the group receiving the genuine treatment showed an improvement compared to only 5% of the group receiving the sham treatment. However, 12 people would need to be treated using the new technique for one to be cured of their depression.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7672876/Magnets-could-be-new-drug-free-treatment-for-depression-research.html

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