Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Clinical Psychiatry

This book is for the true believer who believes that all unexplained pain is due to psychogenic causes, i.e., pain is in your mind. Fortunately, psychiatrists who use it are learning that it can also change physiological pain perception which is also processed by the brain. This is changing the very diagnosis of depression causing pain rather than the other way around and this is good because physiological pain has been chronically misdiagnosed as due to depression.

Just what I wanted

I read this book in an attempt to understand transcranial magnetic stimulation. Finally, I get it! Magnetic stimulation exerts changes in the brain by inducing an electrical current. It's not the magnetic force per se, but the changing magnetic force which induces an electrical current. Or as George and Belmarker call it "electrodeless" electrical stimulation. This book has finally helped me understand how repetitive magnetic stimulation can have such profound effects on the brain.George and Belmaker also provide a nice review of the current research on TMS interventions including pain, depression, mania, anxiety and schizophrenia. I would have liked more color illustrations but that probably would have increased the price of the book.My favorite chapter was the final chapter: Epilogue for the Clinician. As a practicing psychiatrist, I liked the "big picture" assessment of TMS and it's relative place as a potential treatment. This book will serve as a great analysis of the current state of TMS. I hope the FDA will endorse this treatment intervention soon.