Joan Camprodon, neuropsychiatrist: There is a lot of taboo around electroconvulsive therapy, but it reduces the intensity of depression'

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is an alternative for those who do not respond to the usual methods. The technique consists of applying magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells and modulating their activity to reduce or eliminate depressive symptoms. Unlike other techniques, such as deep brain stimulation, it does not require surgery and allows the brain to be stimulated quite precisely. TMS has also proven useful against obsessive-compulsive disorder, tobacco addiction and migraines.

Question. In the long term, can these tools replace medications for diseases such as depression? Answer. Stimulation tools are becoming more precise and safer, but they will not necessarily replace medication. As a clinician, I believe that we have to have as many tools as possible, with maximum safety and maximum effectiveness, to be able to combine them in a way that is individualized. We don't want to cure depression or schizophrenia, we want to cure a person suffering from depression or schizophrenia, and we need to personalize treatments. That's important because depression is not a disease, it is a clinical syndrome.

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