About Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness affecting more than 16 million American adults every year, 6.7% of all U.S. adults1. Often a debilitating disorder, depression results in a persistent state of sadness or loss of interest or pleasure which interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and physical health. Learn more about depression symptoms.

In 2010, the economic burden of depression was estimated at $210 billion in the US2 and depression was the second leading cause of disability, accounting for almost 20% of all years of life lost to disability and premature death.3

Depression can be a lethal disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people. Statistics show that 60% of whom suffer from depression.5 Overall, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression; however, some experts feel that depression in men is under-reported.6 Depression has no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries. About two-thirds of those who experience an episode of depression will have at least one other episode in their lives.

While the exact cause of depression is not known, the leading scientific theory is that depression is caused by decreased activity in the neural networks of the brain that regulate emotion and motivation. Increasing levels of neurotransmitters in the brain has been found to reactivate these neural networks, or create new networks. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells. Depression is most often treated with antidepressant medications. It is believed that antidepressant medications work by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters. Learn about depression treatment options.

More than 4 million patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them. For these patients, they need a new way back.

That new way back may be NeuroStar Advanced Therapy, which offers an option for those who can not take medication due to intolerance of side effects. NeuroStar Advanced Therapy TMS has no side effects, is non-invasive and has many other benefits. 

References:

  1. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2016). 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD.
  2. Greenberg PE, et al. The Economic Burden of Adults With Major Depressive Disorder in the United States (2005 and 2010). J Clin Psychiatry. 2015; 76(2):155-162.
  3. US Burden of Disease Collaborators. The state of US health, 1990-2010: burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. JAMA, 310(6): 591-608, 2013.
  4. Arias E, Heron M, Xu JQ. United States life tables, 2012. National vital statistics reports; vol 65 no 8. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2016.
  5. Courtet, P. and Lopez-Castroman, J. (2017), Antidepressants and suicide risk in depression. World Psychiatry, 16: 317-318. doi:10.1002/wps.20460
  6. Martin LA, Neighbors HW, Griffith DM. The Experience of Symptoms of Depression in Men vs Women Analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70(10):1100-1106. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.1985

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Indication

NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary.

The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode.

The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy system is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Visit neurostar.com for full safety and prescribing information.

Important Safety Information

The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of TMS therapy (<0.1% per patient).

NeuroStar Advanced Therapy should not be used with patients who have non-removable conductive metal in or near the head. NeuroStar Advanced Therapy has not been studied in patients who have not received prior antidepressant treatment.