- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Dr. Gabrielle Melin, board certified in general psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, is looking for ways to empower patients and families dealing with chronic mental illness. She encourages patients to commit to working together with their physicians and health care teams.
Dr. Melin completed medical school at the University of Minnesota. She completed both her psychiatry residency and consultation-liaison fellowship at Mayo Clinic before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 2001. She is medical director of Mayo Clinic Psychiatry Emergency Services in Rochester, Minn. She has special interests in emergency psychiatry, adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.
"Instilling hope is one of the most important things we can do for patients and families. Mental illness can be chronic and significantly impacts lives. Our goal is to provide the best treatment and education so that patients can manage their symptoms more effectively," she said.
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Depression blog
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Sept. 6, 2008
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: An experimental depression treatment
By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation involves the application of an electromagnetic coil to the brain; this creates electromagnetic pulses that result in an antidepressant effect. This is not a treatment that is widely available. It has not yet been approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression, so is still experimental.
Some clinical research trials are going on in the United States. TMS is used in patients with severe treatment-resistant depression. Pregnancy and having metal clips or other surgical metal in the brain are exclusions from receiving this treatment. Those at high risk for seizures are usually excluded as well.
An advantage to this treatment is that it does not require anesthesia like ECT does. Side effects are usually minimal and may include a tingling sensation at the treatment site or a headache. As the machine is quite loud, protective hearing equipment is supplied. Each treatment takes a couple of hours to administer and usually requires 5 treatments per week for up to six weeks. Therefore, this is a considerable time commitment.
You may contact your nearest tertiary medical center to see if a research trial is available. If it is available, they will screen potential patients. All research trials have inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Do any of you have experience with this experimental treatment?
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