TMS Therapy and Neuroplasticity - TMS Talk 03

[@kimbaird2279]

Thanks Miles! Very informative as usual! Please keep them coming! Especially the information about the post treatment as far as stress levels. Before starting my treatment I got into a routine of meditation because my anxiety is so terrible. And have wondered if having been in this less anxious state of mind helped with my being an early responder and seeing such good results? I also completely quit drinking and using medical marijuana about 6 months before starting the treatment and wonder if that has any effects on neuroplasticity? Looking forward to the talk next week on protocol also. I did tell my team who wanted to bump me up to the 20Hz that I wanted to stay at 10Hz. Thanks again for all the help as I feel like there are a lot of people working in these centers who are not as informed as they should be.

[@psycheddiscussions4661]

Thank you again for watching! Glad you enjoyed!

[@mariannrabinovitch5956]

You mentioned cough syrup as possibly slowing neuro plasticity. Should sleep aids be avoided as well, eg melatonin?

[@psycheddiscussions4661]

The cough medicine indeed can slow neuroplasticity, but to be honest, it would only be a problem in high doses (more than 3x the recommended dose).
Sleep aids should be out of your system by the time you wake up. So those are no problem I think. Moreover, if they help you sleep, they can actually have a positive effect, because it is important to be well rested. Sleep deprivation also hurts neuroplasticity. So, in most cases I would suggest to keep using sleep meds :)

[@rubydavies3838]

What are the pharmasuctical interventions that block neuroloplaciticy

[@psycheddiscussions4661]

I am not expert on pharmaceuticals, so this question is one you should probably ask your psychiatrist. But what I do know is that dextromethorphan (which I mentioned in the talk) is used in research to block NMDA receptors (which is a specific kind of connection between brain cells).
Dextromethorphan is often used in non-invasive brain stimulation research to inhibit neuroplasticity. It can be found in various medications against cough. But, it is only really a problem when using more than 5x times the suggested dose.
Also, how pharamaceuticals affect the brain is incredibly complex and not straight forward. Memantine and Ketamine for example, also are also NMDA antagonist, yet they can have positive effects on cognition and depressive symptoms. How these drugs act when they are combined together with TMS is still unclear.
So when it comes to medications, definitely ask someone who is an expert!

[@rubydavies3838]

If I don’t have any effects during the first two hours does that mean it’s not working for me

[@psycheddiscussions4661]

No. Many people do not feel any immediate effects. The effects of TMS in the first few hours are subtle and do often not immediately translate to how you feel.
These effects in the first few hours have been studied mostly in animal studies where we can stick an measuring electrode into the brain. But a change in neurons is not immediately followed by a change in behaviour or a change in how you feel. Many people do not experience improvements until several weeks into the treatment.