{"id":35190,"date":"2022-04-18T13:52:50","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T17:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=35190"},"modified":"2022-04-18T13:52:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T17:52:50","slug":"manuel-astruc-m-d-uses-little-known-technology-to-treat-people-for-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/04\/manuel-astruc-m-d-uses-little-known-technology-to-treat-people-for-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Manuel Astruc, M.D., Uses Little-Known Technology To Treat People For Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Manuel Astruc, M.D., uses a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation machine on a patient.
\u00a92022 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Susan Elise Campbell<\/p>\n

When Manuel Astruc, M.D., expanded his psychiatric practice years ago from a solo office to one with four nurse practitioners and specialists, he said \u201cthe pattern shift would have a bigger impact on the mental health of the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Astruc has introduced a new modality, the first in Saratoga County, that he believes will have the same positive effect. The little-known TMS technology he has acquired has been FDA approved for more than 10 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMental health in the workplace and the impact of depression on company production is a problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to the Center for Disease Control, \u201cthe percent of physician office visits with depression indicated on the medical record is\u00a010.6\u201d and \u201cthe percent of emergency department visits with depression indicated on the medical record is 11.2.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven medical professionals and therapists don\u2019t know it\u2019s available,\u201d said Astruc, who has lived and practiced in the Saratoga area for more than 26 years.<\/p>\n

TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a machine that stimulates deep areas of the brain and \u201cadvances the treatment of mental health disorders without medications or side effects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

One reason many sufferers of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction have been unaware of the existence of TMS therapy is because it is expensive to bring into a psychiatric practice and costly to use in terms of time and manpower, according to Astruc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe typical course of treatment takes four to six weeks with five visits per week,\u201d said Dr. Astruc. \u201cThat is time-intensive for the practice as every-day visits put demands on staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span>Moreover, other protocols must be followed in order for health insurance carriers to cover high treatment costs, according to Dr. Astruc.<\/p>\n

\u201cFDA says a patient has to have failed out of one medication in order to use TMS in an approved fashion,\u201d he said. And insurance companies can impose other requirements before they will begin to pay for TMS therapy\u2014and then only for severe cases, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir protocols vary,\u201d said Dr. Astruc. \u201cThese may include two to four medical trials in addition to one or two courses of psychotherapy\u201d all of which must be shown not to have worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the world we live in,\u201d he said. \u201cTMS is the next modality, but the failed protocols must first be documented by the insurance company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before TMS, a patient would have to be unresponsive to electroconvulsive (ECT) therapy, which dates back to the 1930s in Europe. This was first used in the U.S. in the early 1940s,\u00a0 <\/span>Astruc said, when \u201cpsychiatric hospitals were the size of cities because there was no treatment for these patients. ECT requires inpatient hospitalization for two to four weeks and the shock is administered three times a week,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is referred to as \u2018shock therapy\u2019 and while scary, it is effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a long time to be away from family and work,\u201d he said. \u201cWith TMS, patients are relieved to hear there is a non-invasive option that is less intense, better tolerated, and does not require hospitalization.\u201d<\/p>\n

One side effect of shock therapy is that patients could have a seizure hours or days after the shock was administered, which is why patients were treated in hospital, Dr. Astruc said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is possible for a TMS patient to seizure as well, but it would happen while the stimulation was going on, not later in the parking lot,\u201d he said. \u201cSo the doctor can address the situation immediately by turning off the machine until seizing stops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Astruc said such a risk is rare. Only one in 10,000 patients are affected in this way.<\/p>\n

There is no pain associated with treatment. Instead, patients have a sensation\u00a0 <\/span>\u201clike a woodpecker tapping on their head, but they get used to it quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As TMS became widely accepted by insurance, it \u201cmade more sense to offer this treatment to patients who were not responding to medications,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Depression is the primary diagnosis being treated with TMS. Depressed patients feel helpless and hopeless as they struggle to cope with life. Astruc said insurance companies \u201crequire the patient to have a severe episode such that they can barely function, but the insurer still can decide whether to cover TMS therapy. Patients can try one more drug and perhaps improve 5 percent,\u201d he said. \u201cBut TMS is 50 to 70 percent effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Astruc said there are genetic and environmental influences behind the incidence of depression and other disorders.<\/p>\n

He said an increasingly sedentary society has factored into the incidence of depression and the COVID pandemic has amplified the problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur brains and our bodies are functioning in a different way without social connection,\u201d said\u00a0 <\/span>Astruc. \u201cAnd constant bombardment by negative stimulation doesn\u2019t make us feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStress used to be defined as a physical demand on the body that was transitory,\u201d he said. \u201cA constant low-grade demand on the brain affects the hormones that regulate our bodies. We were not made to function that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn about TMS therapy at www.manuelastrucmd.com or on his Facebook page, where there are videos and more information. His 414 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs, office can be reached at 518-583-7410.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan Elise Campbell When Manuel Astruc, M.D., expanded his psychiatric practice years ago from a solo office to one with four nurse practitioners and specialists, he said \u201cthe pattern shift would have a bigger impact on the mental health of the community.\u201d\u00a0 Now Astruc has introduced a new modality, the first in Saratoga County, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":35191,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nManuel Astruc, M.D., Uses Little-Known Technology To Treat People For Depression - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/04\/manuel-astruc-m-d-uses-little-known-technology-to-treat-people-for-depression\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Manuel Astruc, M.D., Uses Little-Known Technology To Treat People For Depression - 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