Brainstim Centers TMS & MeRT, Calabasas & Valencia CA

Depression, PTSD, Concussion and Autism Treatment using MeRT and TMS

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How Childhood Trauma can Affect the Brain

Dr. Mark Liker, located in the Greater Los Angeles Area, Can Help You Overcome the Effects of Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma is all too common these days. Approximately 14% of Americans report that they experienced emotional abuse or neglect during their childhood. And that trauma can also cause permanent changes to the structure of the brain.

A recent article in The Irish Times went into detail about brain health and adverse childhood experiences:

“Psychological studies have shown… that traumatic experiences in childhood have the potential to alter a child’s brain through the narrowing of neural pathways which may cause longer-term effects in areas such as attachment issues, physical health, emotional regulation, dissociation cognitive abilities, self-concept and behavioural [sic] control. Brain development in infancy and early childhood lays the foundation for all future development.”

It is important to note that extended periods of trauma in childhood can increase the chances of:

  • anxiety disorders
  • bipolar disorder
  • major depression
  • personality disorders
  • PTSD
  • psychosis

As another example, a study used an MRI to measure changes in brain structure among young adults who had experienced childhood trauma. As a result of their testing, they discovered differences in nine brain regions between those who had experienced childhood abuse and neglect and those who had not.

It’s probably not surprising to you that trauma in childhood affects people later in life. However, the manner in which this trauma alters the brain is important to understand. After all, the more we know the areas of the brain affected, the more we can treat those areas and lessen the effects in adults.

Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More

CALL:(310) 895-7122

Three Levels of Childhood Stress

childhood traumaEvery child experiences stress. After all, stress is a part of life, and an important way to learn how to handle situations and increase resilience. However, there are different levels of stress, each of which has a different impact on the brain.

Positive Stress is a moderate type of stress, which only lasts for a short time and is a normal part of life. Examples of this type of stress may include being left in daycare for the first time or visiting the doctor. Learning to adjust to positive stress is vital for healthy childhood development.

Tolerable Stress can be more serious, such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster. This type of stress can potentially cause damage to the brain but occurs infrequently enough to give the brain time to heal.

Toxic Stress is another matter entirely. This occurs when the stress is strong, frequent, and prolonged, such as abuse, neglect, or violence. This toxic stress disrupts normal brain development and can rewire certain parts of the brain.

Areas of the Brain Affected by Childhood Trauma

How Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation TMS Works to Improve Brain FunctionThe US Department of Health and Human Services laid out five different areas which may be affected by childhood stress and trauma:

  • Reduced size of the hippocampus, the area central to learning and memory.
  • Decrease in volume of the corpus callosum, responsible for communication between brain hemispheres and specifically, integrating motor, sensory, and cognitive performance.
  • Reduction in size of the cerebellum, affecting motor skills and coordination.
  • Smaller prefrontal cortex, which is critical for behavior, emotional and social regulation, and perception.
  • Overactivity in the amygdala, the area responsible for processing emotions and determining whether something is potentially dangerous.

As we have noted above, these impacts on the brain will affect how a child responds to life. Moreover, adults who have experienced this type of childhood neglect and abuse are far more likely to deal with depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and more.

Recovering from this type of trauma and its long-term effects on the brain can be an arduous process, particularly when trying to figure out which forms of therapy will work. However, with the proper treatment, including therapies like MeRT, there is hope.

In essence, MeRT focuses on balancing brainwave activity to ease symptoms. We do this by performing a qEEG (brain mapping) to identify the imbalance. Then, we strengthen the brainwave activity through a highly personalized treatment plan using TMS.

 

Would you like a consultation with our New Patient Coordinator?

If you’ve been experiencing the adverse effects of childhood trauma, then we want to help. And it costs nothing to call us and talk about what is happening.

During your call, the New Patient Coordinator will listen to you and answer your questions. She will also explain our process and protocols, as well as costs, possible insurance benefits, and any other details you want to know.

There are no obligations and she will take all the time you need in order to determine whether you should take the next steps.

Call Our New Patient Coordinator to Learn More

CALL:(310) 895-7122

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Pandemic-related depression rates continue to rise. Here’s what you can do.

We’re well into our third year of a global pandemic, and if you feel depressed, wondering when and if you’ll see an end to all this upheaval, you’re not alone. And even if you’re moving through this pandemic with your mental health relatively intact, just watching the news can bring on feelings of anxiety and depression.

So, it won’t surprise you that mental health conditions are on the rise: Depression among adults in the United States tripled in the early months of the COVID pandemic. And new research shows that this only increased in 2021, with depression affecting one in every three American adults.

Just some of what may be contributing to these mental health issues are:

  • Uncertainty about the future
  • Financial pressures
  • Altered daily routines
  • Information overload
  • Rumors and misinformation
  • Fear of getting sick or dying
  • Social isolation
  • Anger and divisiveness in the country and the world
  • Grief over the loss of loved ones
  • Mental health issues after recovering from COVID

A June 2020 study by the CDC reported on the results of a survey done on over 5,400 US adults:

  • 40% said they were struggling with mental health or substance use
  • 31% reported symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder
  • 26% had trauma/stressor-related disorder symptoms
  • 13% said that they had started or increased substance use
  • 11% reported that they had seriously considered suicide

We are now almost two years past that study, and the mental health toll is only getting worse. In fact, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. and has been on the rise for teens and adults. The most recent statistics show that 8.9 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months.

If you are feeling suicidal, please call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Additionally, we have listed some resources at the end of this article that may help.

How to Take Care of Your Mental Health

depressionFortunately, there seems to be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, as cities and countries are easing restrictions and infection rates drop. However, with all that’s going on, we see very little emphasis placed on our mental health. Here at BrainStim Centers, we care about your mental health. And we want to help you heal.

It begins with doing whatever you can to reduce the stress in your life. While you may not be able to control what’s happening in the world around you, you can do your best to take care of yourself and your mental health.

Here are some healthy ways the CDC recommends for coping with pandemic-related stress and anxiety:

  • Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to the news. Try limiting it to a couple of times a day.
  • Take care of your body by eating healthy, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep.
  • Breathe — take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
  • Avoid consuming too much alcohol, tobacco, or other substances.
  • Know what to do if you are sick and are concerned about COVID-19, and contact your healthcare professional.
  • Have information on hand about any other support services, such as counseling or therapy.
  • Make time to unwind and do some other activities you enjoy.
  • Talk with people you trust about how you’re feeling. It helps to connect with others.
  • Become more involved with your community or faith-based organizations.

How We Can Help You: MeRT Treatment for Depression

While you do everything you can to ease the stress from this pandemic, sometimes the depression can still be overwhelming. And perhaps you haven’t responded to medications or other treatments as well as you’d hoped.

Depression is often initially treated with antidepressants, psychotherapy, or in many cases both, but sometimes these treatments don’t work fully on everyone. And sometimes people don’t tolerate the side effects well.

We have another option for treatment. It’s called MeRT, or Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. MeRT is a long-lasting treatment for depression that is non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive, and MeRT is FDA-approved for the treatment of Depression and Major Depressive Disorder.

MeRT is a highly personalized treatment that focuses on balancing your brainwave activity to ease symptoms of depression. Patients who are clinically depressed have markers that we can see in their EEG studies, so the first step of MeRT is performing a qEEG, or brain map, to clearly locate those markers. Once we identify the imbalance, we can strengthen the brainwave activity through a highly personalized treatment plan using TMS.

Treatment for depression with MeRT has proven highly successful in permanently relieving patients of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and more.

Learn more about our proven treatments for depression here.

Additional Mental Health Resources

Find a health care provider or treatment for substance use disorder and mental health:

 

 

 

 

New Studies on how Covid-19 can affect the Brain

Recent studies are indicating that those who have had Covid-19 may have also experienced effects neurologically, in addition to other long-lasting damage in their lungs and otherwise.

An article in Science News stated:

Early in the pandemic, some infected people noticed a curious symptom: the loss of smell. Reports of other brain-related ssymptoms followed: headaches, confusion, hallucinations, and delirium. Some infections were accompanied by depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

Recent studies suggest that leaky blood vessels and inflammation are somehow involved in these symptoms. But many basic questions remain unanswered about the virus, which has infected more than 145 million people worldwide. Researchers are still trying to figure out how many people experience these psychiatric or neurological problems, who is most at risk, and how long such symptoms might last.”

One study of electronic health records found that 1 in 3 people had some form of neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of being infected. A vast majority of these were for anxiety or depression. That is extremely high.

Another study found a higher rate of those who had been infected experiencing a stroke later.

Another study looked into the blood vessels of those who had been infected, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, which stated:

One study of electronic health records found that 1 in 3 people had some form of neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of being infected. A vast majority of these were for anxiety or depression. That is extremely high.

Those results suggest that clots, inflamed linings and leaks in the barriers that normally keep blood and other harmful substances out of the brain may all contribute to COVID-related brain damage.”

Another study, by Maura Boldrini, a psychiatrist at Columbia University in New York. looked into the resultant issues with inflammation and the effects of inflammation on the brain.

Inflammation in the body can cause trouble in the brain, too. Inflammatory signals released after injury can change the way the brain makes and uses chemical signaling molecules, called neurotransmitters, that help nerve cells communicate. Key communication molecules such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine can get scrambled when there’s lots of inflammation.

These studies may answer some questions about the psychological after-effects of Covid that some may be experiencing.

To read more about this, you can find the full article here. COVID-19 can affect the brain. New clues hint at how _ Science News

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A New Approach to Treating Depression

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Making matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem, with one-third of the population in the United States showing signs of clinical anxiety and/or depression.

Understanding the significant impact that depression can have on your life and on the lives of those around you, the team here at BrainStim Centers offers a non-invasive, drug-free approach to treating depression using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Here’s a look at how TMS is helping our patients lead happy and productive lives.

A closer look at depression
Major depression is one of the most common mood disorders, and it can affect people to varying degrees. Some experience only mild symptoms, while others are trapped in seemingly endless cycles of depression, which is called a recurrent depressive disorder.

While everyone experiences sadness from time to time, depression is entirely different as the neural activity and chemical imbalances in certain areas of the brain, namely the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus, make it difficult to regulate mood. Many feel the following signs of depression:

  • Hopeless
  • Helpless
  • Disinterested
  • Lethargic
  • Self-loathing
  • Guilty

Depression can also affect your appetite and sleep and is often accompanied by physical symptoms, such as body aches, headaches, and gastrointestinal upset.

Traditionally, depression is treated using pharmapsychology, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), with mixed success. Many find the side effects of medications or ECT to be too cumbersome, not to mention that finding the right combination of therapies can be difficult and time-consuming.

Frustratingly, the more combinations of medications you try, the less likely you’ll respond.

If this sounds familiar, it may be time to explore TMS, which has garnered impressive results among those with major depression and treatment-resistant depression.

How TMS works
Depression starts in the areas of your brain that regulate a person’s mood. While this statement may seem simple enough, depression is incredibly complex. To begin with, you may have an imbalance in brain chemicals that creates a malfunction in your ability to regulate your moods, leaving certain areas of your brain underactive or inactive. Depression is also tied to genetics, trauma, stress, certain medications, and medical issues.

To get to the bottom of your depression, we start with an MRI to get a closer look at the inner workings of your brain, which we upload into our state-of-the-art Nexstim SmartFocus®. The SmartFocus technology then creates a 3D map of your brain, which allows us to identify underactive areas.

From there, we know where to target the magnetic stimulation, which we deliver through a device that we place over your head. This stimulation is designed to reactivate the dormant areas in your brain, which are typically located in your dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, creating new neural connections that better control your moods.

Your TMS timeline depends on the severity of your symptoms and how well you respond to the therapy, but you should count on five sessions a week for several weeks to start. The sessions themselves generally last less than an hour and there’s no downtime afterward.

As far as efficacy, studies show that TMS therapy greatly improves the symptoms of depression so much so that our patients begin to live healthy, happy, and productive lives again.

If you want to explore how you can break free of your depression with TMS therapy, contact one of our two offices in Encino or Valencia, California at 310-895-7122 or email us at info@brainstimcenters.com.

Understanding the Symptoms of Tinnitus and Finding Relief

It usually starts out small — you “hear” something that doesn’t come from any external stimuli. The sound may last for a minute or two and then dissipate. Some people go on to experience this noise more frequently. In severe cases, the sound turns into a constant and life-altering companion.

The name for this is tinnitus, which is a symptom of an underlying issue involving your auditory system. The team at BrainStim Centers has extensive experience helping patients find relief from tinnitus using an innovative technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Before we get into how TMS may be able to resolve your tinnitus, let’s take a closer look at this condition to help you better recognize the problem.

The many faces of tinnitus

As we mentioned, tinnitus isn’t a disease but is a symptom of a problem in your auditory system. This symptom is most often described as ringing in your ears, but the sound can also present itself as:

  • Clicking
  • Hissing
  • Humming
  • Buzzing
  • Whistling

Sometimes the noise caused by tinnitus is like a roar or rushing sound.

While you can “hear” these noises, they don’t come from any external source, which means it’s created by a malfunction in your auditory system.

These sounds can come and go or remain constant. As well, the levels of the sounds can vary, depending upon the underlying issue.

Common causes of tinnitus

There are any number of problems that can lead to tinnitus, and here are just a few of the more common ones:

  • Damage due to prolonged exposure to noise (working in a noisy plant or wearing headphones)
  • Damage due to sudden, proximal noise (such as a bomb)
  • Age-related hearing loss
  • Ear infections
  • Certain medications
  • Trauma to your head or neck
  • Blockages in your ear canals
  • Blood vessel disorders
  • Eustachian tube dysfunction
  • Meniere’s disease (abnormal inner ear pressure)
  • Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)

When it comes to treating tinnitus, it’s imperative that you receive a proper diagnosis, which will dictate how you go about treating the problem and finding relief.

Tinnitus and TMS

In a best-case scenario, you’re diagnosed with an ear infection or wax buildup, both of which can be quickly cleared up. Unfortunately, tinnitus isn’t usually that easy to figure out and takes a fair bit of sleuthing. Even after an extensive analysis, you and your doctors may be unable to pinpoint the underlying problem.

In these cases, treating this symptom can be very difficult, which is where our TMS treatment may help you find much-needed relief.

To start, we perform a brain scan (MRI) to determine the exact target on the surface of the brain to treat. Using TMS therapy, we can deliver pulses into these areas to stimulate brain neuron activity.

If we find that you may benefit from TMS, we discuss an appropriate timeline — typically five sessions per week for 2-4 weeks. Each of these sessions (except for the first) usually lasts only 20 minutes. Because the TMS treatments are noninvasive, you’re free to get on with your day after you come to see us.

As you progress through your treatments, you should realize gradual improvement in your tinnitus, and we can always make some adjustments along the way for optimal results.

If you’d like to explore whether TMS therapy may hold the key to resolving your tinnitus, contact one of our offices in Encino or Valencia, California, to set up a consultation.

Non-invasive Ways to Treat Depression and Anxiety

Medication is not the only answer in treating depression and anxiety. In fact, many antidepressants do not work or leave people with multiple side effects. The best option is to combine medication with non-invasive treatments, or if possible, to eliminate medications altogether.

Fundamentally, depression and anxiety are linked to the human brain. The human brain is built of billions of neurons doing multiple tasks at the same time. These neurons receive and fire signals from different parts of our body to our brain and back. Unfortunately, if some parts of our brain are less active than others, the brain will not send and receive the signals it is meant to. Research has shown that the part of the brain responsible for depression and anxiety is the prefrontal cortex. It is believed that by stimulating the brain, our body will start producing serotonin. Serotonin is the main hormone linked to depression and anxiety. If our body has enough serotonin our mood will be uplifted.

How to increase the serotonin levels by non-invasive methods?

 

  1. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): TMS is one of the best methods to stimulate the exact part of the brain responsible for serotonin production- the Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). TMS therapy should be repeated for about 36 sessions which will leave the patient with significant mood improvements. TMS doesn’t hurt, the sessions are short, and have very little to no side effects. The most common side effect is headache during the treatment.
  2. Working out: regular exercise reduces the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine. As a consequence, our body is more relaxed and our minds are more focused. Regular workouts are linked to memory and concentration improvement, as well as being better equipped to deal with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
  3. Meditation: just like working out, meditation helps with balancing the stress hormones in our body. Moreover, by learning how to meditate, we learn how to put our body in a relaxation stage, accept everything that is going on in our body and brain, and release those stressors.
  4. Breathing: breath control is a key component in reducing stress. Learning how to take deep breaths from your belly helps to reduce feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious.
  5. Good diet: what you eat has a huge impact on how you feel. Foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, unsweetened dairy products, and spices such as turmeric and cinnamon will improve your overall mood. Moreover, nuts, seeds, and olive oil can improve your brain work.

As you can see there are many ways that your mood can be uplifted without medication. Call us at 310.895.7122 if you would like to learn more about TMS. Our team will walk you through the process and create a plan of action best for your healthcare needs.

How Can You Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions?

Exercise more, eat less, buy healthier foods, lose weight, save money, quit smoking, drink less coffee or caffeine…These are some of the top New Year’s resolutions that people make. At the beginning of each new year, we hope that we will finally find the motivation to make these change in our lives.

But how can we really achieve our goals and become the people we want to be?

Achieving goals and making changes to our lives usually starts with changing our behavior—not an easy task! It takes a lot of will power to do it, but that is not all. You can have a strong sense of self-control, yet the most effective way to change your behavior is change your habits.

Why isn’t a strong sense of self-control enough to change behavior?

Well, let’s think about driving. How often do you drive a car and not think about it? You take a turn, put your blinkers on or stop at a red light without really thinking of driving itself. It is because driving, like many (in fact 43%) of our everyday actions, is habitual and doesn’t require a lot of decision-making processes. A habit is a behavior that we repeat often without giving it a lot of thought. It is a mental association and often leads to positive reinforcement which makes it even harder to change. Interestingly, on average humans can form a habit after only 21 days.

What is the best way to change a habit?

The best way to change your behavior and break a bad habit, is to make subtle changes in your everyday routine. That way you are not only breaking the mental associations in your head, but you also put less pressure on yourself to make a change in your life, which will happen gradually over time, for good!

Moreover, when you are changing your behavior, you should make it as enjoyable, comfortable, and convenient as possible. For example, if your goal for 2021 is to exercise more but you hate going to the gym, don’t force yourself to go there. Start working out at home, go for a hike, or get a personal trainer at a small studio. Figure out a way to make exercise fun and easy. By making it enjoyable and convenient, you won’t have any excuse not to do it.

Lastly, try to be aware of what you are doing and what decisions you are making that will effect your ability to change the habit.

Again, knowing that we should change a habit and wanting to do something different are simply not enough. Focusing on long-term changes in behavior, using fun and convenient methods will help you achieve your goals! Before you know it, you will be successful!!

As the saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new!” 2021 is a new year full of possibilities. Contact us at Brainstim Centers to see how we can help you achieve your new goals.

Personal Stories of Success through TMS Therapy

Below is a spotlight on our recent program success story with our patient Nikki, who has bravely offered to share her journey and speak up about her experience with us at BrainStim Centers, in order to support and help others who may be struggling with challenges.

When I caught up with Nikki, she said, “For the first time in many years (and with the observation of a psychiatrist) I am finally off of medication.” An impressive shift for sure. Let’s review her experience in her own words:

BSC: How did you hear about BrainStim Centers and the TMS program?

Nikki: I am a patient of Dr. Liker. When I saw him at my first appointment for a spinal surgery, I asked him about his mental health care program and if he could help me. I had noticed when reviewing Dr. Liker before my appointment, that not only is he a neurosurgeon, he is an advocate of TMS and the owner of a TMS facility.

BSC: Tell us about your first impression of BrainStim Centers, and about the initial treatment.

Nikki: After my first consultation with Dr. Reyes and completing the assessment tests, which were fun and interesting, I had to wait for a bit for insurance approval before starting my treatments. Although, during the pandemic, it did take a little more time than usual to get approved, I have to say that I have never in my life ever had anyone or any group of people advocate for me as well. I have never had a group regularly keep me updated on the progress of approval the way you and your team did for me. I felt like you really did care about and for me. I know for a fact that you all worked like crazy to get me this treatment! I am eternally grateful to you and to the BrainStim Centers team. I will never forget what you did for me.

BSC: Tell us about your overall experience with BrainStim and the TMS treatment. What were the reasons you sought treatment?

Nikki: As a child, I had a very dysfunctional and difficult upbringing. This has resulted in having several different mental health challenges. The one common denominator within all of my challenges is major depression. After receiving several treatments, maybe somewhere around four weeks, I started noticing a difference in my overall attitude. It’s hard to explain, but if you are someone that does or has ever experienced severe depression, you know what a game changer this truly is. After about the first two weeks of my treatment, I noticed that I felt so much “lighter”. You could say that depression is like a constant storm cloud above your head that’s always there raging, following you everywhere you go and only you. I can honestly tell you that the cloud is gone completely! Before treatment I hardly ever even got out of my bed. I hardly went anywhere or did anything unless I absolutely had to. When I did, I did the absolute bare minimum. In fact, most of my life, I hardly ever wore make up, and showering, brushing my teeth?! Forget about it. When I’m depressed, nothing matters. I don’t do even the slightest things I should do just to take care of myself. Now, I get up out of bed every morning, thankful and feeling blessed for another day. If I go out, I shower and put make up on! I can honestly say without a doubt, that I have never felt so good since I was a teenager!

BSC: Did you experience any pain or side effects from the TMS treatment?

Nikki: Absolutely not! Occasionally when the dosage was increased, I did notice the strength a little bit. But other than that, I never experienced any negative side effects.

BSC: Is there anything more that you would like to add that you think might be helpful to potential patients?

Nikki: Yes, I would first like to say that if there is anyone out there that experiences any of the things I have mentioned here, that dealing with depression really stifles your life. When / if you can remove this obstacle, this allows you to be able to focus on other aspects of mental health challenges. For myself, I now can say that not being depressed all the time, I have the energy, motivation and care to now actually have the ability to dig deeper into healing my other challenges without it feeling like it is such an unattainable, monumental and overwhelming task! In fact, I’m now going to be traveling on my own soon out of state, to attend a four day womens’ retreat and continue my healing journey. I would also like to add that I do still have days where I maybe feel a little down or overwhelmed by just daily life happenings. But it’s not depression. I can tell the difference, and it’s easier for me to move throughout these challenges without literally bringing me down.

Another wonderful thing I’ve been able to do now is spend more quality time with my husband doing all of the things we love. He has been talking nonstop about the changes he has seen in me and how much he is so proud of me. He is my biggest support and cheerleader. I would also like to add that Dr. Liker and the whole team at BrainStim Centers, you, Sonia, Joella, Aleks, and Crystal, are the nicest, most wonderful group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with! Seeing all of you every day for several weeks was really the only contact I’ve had with anyone outside of my home. I feel as though I added new people to my family and I’m actually missing seeing you all every day and talking with you and sharing my life. Not only did I receive treatment for my medication resistant depression that worked, I made new lifelong connections with a group of amazing people. It doesn’t get any better than that.

I would just like to end by saying thank you to Dr. Liker and BrainStim Centers, and all of you, the staff! You have changed my life for the better forever!