2023/09/14
National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP)
The Jikei University Hospital
Keio University Hospital
The National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) Hospital, in a multi-center collaboration with The Jikei University Hospital and Keio University Hospital, is conducting a clinical study using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for patients with drug-resistant bipolar depression. This study is being carried out under the Advanced Medical Care B system.
Bipolar disorder is considered a condition characterized by recurring episodes of depression (a state of low mood, loss of interest or pleasure) and its opposite, manic or hypomanic episodes (a state of abnormally elevated mood). It is known that depressive episodes account for a significant portion of the course of bipolar disorder, and treatment can be challenging when drug therapy is ineffective. In actual clinical practice, there is a need for effective and accessible treatments for depressive episodes in treatment-resistant bipolar disorder.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a technology that non-invasively and directly stimulates the body by applying Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. A brief current is passed through a coil, and the resulting eddy currents from the changing magnetic field stimulate neurons. The therapeutic method of applying TMS repeatedly is called repetitive TMS (rTMS).
Against this backdrop, the three institutions are collaborating in a multi-center study to verify the efficacy and safety of rTMS for patients with drug-resistant bipolar depression, aiming for regulatory approval of the medical device and its inclusion in insurance coverage.
For the full press release, please see below.