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Biomedical subjects

Saxby Pridmore

Publications and source records attributed to Saxby Pridmore.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Information for assistants of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an exciting new technology being used in psychiatric and neurological research in many centres around the world. rTMS has been accepted as a routine treatment of depression in Canada and Israel. To this point, it has been exclusively conducted by medical officers. As knowledge and experience grows, it is probable that professionals with other backgrounds will have the opportunity to play a role. The aim of this paper is to provide information that will be valuable to assistants. Electromagnetic principles are harnessed to deliver electric currents to localized regions of the cortex. rTMS does not involve anaesthesia or seizure. Side-effects appear to be few. Much remains uncertain, however, even including the most appropriate treatment parameters.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2002

Cortical excitability of psychiatric disorders: reduced post-exercise facilitation in depression compared to schizophrenia and controls.

OBJECTIVE: In normal subjects, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) from the motor cortex are increased after non-fatiguing exercise of hand muscles. This phenomenon is called post-exercise facilitation. This study aims to test the hypothesis that psychiatric syndromes (major depressive episode, schizophrenia) have different levels of post-exercise facilitation compared to controls. METHODS: Patients with DSM-IV major depressive episode (six female, four male), schizophrenia (two female, nine male) and a control group (nine female, four male) participated. MEPs were elicited pre- and post-exercise from the contralateral abductor pollicis brevis by TMS over the primary motor cortex. RESULTS: Post-exercise facilitation expressed as a percentage of baseline was 510% in controls, 110% in depression and 190% in schizophrenia. There were significant differences in patients with depression and schizophrenia compared to controls (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0008). CONCLUSIONS: Post-exercise facilitation was reduced in depression and schizophrenia, suggesting impaired cortical excitability in these disorders. Further studies may discriminate between the two groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of unlimited numbers of rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and ECT treatment sessions in major depressive episode.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a new technology which holds promise as a treatment of psychiatric disorders. Most work to date has been on depression. Superiority to placebo has been indicated in three small blind studies. We compared the antidepressant effects of rTMS and ECT in 32 patients suffering major depressive episode (MDE) who had failed to respond to at least one course of medication. There was no limit to the number of treatment sessions which could be given and treatment was continued until remission occurred or response plateaued. A significant main effect for treatment type was found [Pillai trace = 0.248, F(3,28) = 3.076, p = 0.044; power = 0.656], reflecting an advantage for ECT patients on measures of depression overall, however, rTMS produced comparable results on a number of measures. Blind raters using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) found the rate of remission (HDRS = ? 8) was the same (68.8%), and the percentage improvement over the course of treatment of 55.6% (rTMS) and 66.4% (ECT), while favouring ECT, was not significantly different. Significant differences were shown (p & 0.03) in percentage improvement on Beck Depression Inventory ratings (rTMS, 45.5%; ECT, 69.1%), but not for improvement in Visual Analogue ratings of mood (rTMS 42.3%; ECT, 57%). rTMS has antidepressant effects of useful proportions and further studies are indicated.

Journal Article↗