Newswise — Neptune, N.J. – August 15, 2016 – Jersey Shore University Medical Center is the first hospital in New Jersey to offer deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) – a non-invasive treatment for depression that provides new hope for patients who have experienced side effects from medications or for whom medications have proven ineffective.

Depression is a condition characterized by feelings of deep sadness and loss of interest in life. It is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the United States and affects more than 15 million adults. Traditional treatment for severe depression has typically included antidepressant medicine, along with therapy, though many patients experience side effects, or simply don’t respond to medicine.

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation – FDA approved in 2013 – is a new effective treatment option. dTMS is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic pulses to painlessly penetrate the cranium and target the prefrontal cortex of the brain, where mood is regulated. It works by stimulating neurons responsible for depressive symptoms and restoring neuronal conduction, along with equilibrium of brain chemicals, in the neural pathways of the brain. The outpatient treatment is comprised of short 20 minute sessions with almost no side effects, and does not disrupt a patient’s daily activity. Most patients experience improvement after four to six weeks of treatment.

Cheryl Graber, M.D., psychiatrist at Jersey Shore, oversees the hospital’s neuromodulation center for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Dr. Graber says, “Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is a game-changer for the treatment of medicine resistant depression. This innovative, non-invasive treatment has almost no side effects and provides a new and exciting alternative for those suffering from depression. It’s truly opening up a world of possibilities for so many.”

About Hackensack Meridian HealthHackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 13 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and nine community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 28,000 team members, more than 6,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, the number one hospital in New Jersey as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

The hospitals of Hackensack Meridian Health include: academic medical centers - HackensackUMC in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, HackensackUMC Mountainside in Montclair, HackensackUMC Palisades in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley in Westwood.

To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.