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New treatment unit in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg / Patients benefit from high-precision magnetic stimulation

Around 5.3 million people in Germany are affected by depression. They are usually treated with psychotherapy and medication. However, between 20 and 30 percent of those affected do not respond to this therapy. Since mid-April, the Medical Center - University of Freiburg has had a new treatment unit where patients can be treated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The Medical Center - University of Freiburg is the first clinic in Baden-Württemberg to use a robot of the latest generation, which simplifies, shortens and makes treatment more precise thanks to special navigation technology.

"The treatment only takes a few minutes. Where previously anesthesia and an inpatient stay were necessary, we can now offer patients outpatient treatment," says Prof. Dr. Claus Normann, Head of the Psychopharmacotherapy Section at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. This is particularly beneficial for treatment-resistant patients, i.e. those for whom therapeutic and drug treatment is not effective.

Targeted activation of brain regions

In TMS, nerve cells in the cerebral cortex are stimulated with electrical impulses. With the help of a magnetic coil above the head, the prefrontal cortex, a region in the brain that is associated with attention, thinking and planning, among other things, is stimulated through the skull (= transcranially). A robotic arm with magnetic coils is controlled with millimeter precision by means of so-called neuronavigation.

"The targeted activation of brain regions can reduce symptoms such as listlessness, low mood and a lack of control over negative thoughts. This improves patients' quality of life and supports psychotherapeutic treatment," says Dr. Stefan Vestring, senior consultant in the Stimulation and Sleep Unit (SSU) at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. In the first week after its opening, 40 treatments were already carried out there.