Meet leading medical doctor and learn more of the rTMS therapy

The new Centre specialises in a hi- tech treatment that has been the subject of intense scientific interest and has been found to relieve depression in most people, even those who have been ill for decades and have not responded to drugs or other therapies.

Iain Glass, MindCare Centres of Canada founder and CEO, will be in Ottawa this week and, together with Ottawa clinic operator Gardner Church, will be available for media interviews to help explain the rTMS neural therapy and what Ottawa Mindcare Clinic offers residents of eastern Ontario and western Quebec.

Dr. Jean-Claude Bisserbe, Director of the Mood Disorder Clinic at the Royal Ottawa Hospital will also be available to discuss the potential of rTMS therapy.

Media Note: Clinic operator Gardner Church will also be available to discuss what the opening of the clinic means for the public of the National Capital Region as well as research at the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Mental Health Research.

To prearrange an interview or tour of the facilities, please contact:Gardner Church, Ottawa MindCare Centre 1.613.531.0711

MindCare Centres in Vancouver and now Ottawa are part of Mindcare Centres of Canada, an organization dedicated to providing highly specialized medical care for patients with depression and other mood disorders. Medical care focuses on the remarkably successful treatment titled repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS).

Since its inception in April 2000, the members of NPTx MindCare have devoted all energies and resources to providing the psychiatric community with access to rTMS, a safe and effective treatment for depression and mood disorders. Canada was among the first countries in the world to approve rTMS neural therapy, which gives MindCare a unique opportunity to further show the advantages of this treatment and assist in extending its availability worldwide.

The Ottawa Mindcare Centre Clinic opened its doors to the public today

The rTMS Neural Therapy

The therapy is an outpatient procedure, which means that no hospitalization is required. The rTMS therapy procedure itself is painless, non-invasive, and requires no anesthesia. During treatment, patients are fully conscious and able to read or converse with the technician or traveling acquaintance.

Upon a referral from a physician, the clinic’s treatment will be administered by a trained Mindcare medical technician and overseen by a medical doctor. All doctors and medical technicians working at MindCare Centres have been educated in all aspects of rTMS therapy. The medical technician will familiarize the patient with the equipment and treatment procedure prior to commencing the first session.

Treatment influences the electrical activity in the brain by means of a pulsed magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by passing brief current pulses through a figure-8 coil of wire, which is held close to the scalp so that the magnetic field can be focused onto specific areas of the cortex, or surface, of the brain. The magnetic field that is generated in rTMS can penetrate the scalp and skull safely and painlessly to induce a current in specific neurons (brain cells). Because the magnetic stimulation is delivered at regular intervals, it is termed repetitive TMS, or rTMS.

rTMS targets specific areas of the brain that are believed to be affected by depression and other mood disorders. rTMS is used to elicit certain desired effects in the brain (i.e. excitatory or inhibitory effects) that have shown efficacy in treating various conditions or illnesses, not only depression. rTMS therapy has been extensively validated in clinical trials and medical research studies, and has been approved for use in Canada since 2002. Numerous peer-reviewed medical journal articles have shown promise for rTMS therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Auditory Hallucination Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tinnitus, Eating Disorders, Migraines, Pain Management, and other mood disorders.

Advantages of rTMS Therapy

This medical procedure has been proven to be highly effective. Based on results of clinical research, rTMS surpasses the success rates of Pharmacotherapy intervention and is equivalent to Electro Convulsive Therapy – without the side effects.

The rTMS therapy is a painless procedure that is non-invasive and requires no anesthesia. It is an outpatient therapy that has few or no side effects (most severe side effect is a mild headache). Therapy sessions last a total of 2 hours. Patients experience a quick onset of therapeutic effect (typically within 1 week) and, generally, effectiveness only requires 2 to 4 weeks of treatment.

tTMS has a proven ability to provide therapeutic benefit for treatment-resistant individuals. “Non-Responders” typically achieve a 15% reduction in depression symptoms. There has been equivalent effectiveness in treating both patients with Major Depressive Disorder and those suffering from Bipolar Disorder

Treatment parameters are determined individually for each patient. Protocols are based upon each individual patient’s specific diagnosis, ensuring the most effective treatment course possible. The treatment parameters and results gained from all rTMS procedures delivered at the clinic are tracked using Mindcare custom-developed software program. This allows Mindcare medical advisors to customize, assess, and follow each patient's treatment progress and to provide individualized feedback on results.

Like any effective treatment modality, the degree of improvement varies among individuals. The initial pre-procedure consultation with a medical doctor at the clinic will help determine the range of one’s probable outcome based on the severity of depression, medical history, and expectations.

Physicians and patients may request information or book an appointment by calling the Centre directly at 613-569-RTMS(7867), faxing 613-715-5833, or e-mailing info@mindcarecentres.com The clinic has a toll-free line for out of town calls: 1-888-726-7867.

For more information on the rTMS therapy visit: www.mindcarecentres.com.

Media contact: Gardner Church, Ottawa MindCare Centre 1.613.531.0711

Ottawa - Depression sufferers in the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec have new hope. The Ottawa Mindcare Centre opens on November 5 in rented premises at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.

The new Centre specialises in rTMS treatment for neural diseases. This hi- tech treatment has been the subject of intense scientific interest and has been found to relieve depression in most people, even those who have been ill for decades and have not responded to drugs or other therapies.

The original MindCare Centre in Vancouver has been in operation for five years and has been treating people who are among the most severely depressed. It has achieved long lasting response level (effective recovery) results rates in almost 70% of cases.

In addition to depression, MindCare Centres have successfully treated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Auditory Hallucinations Schizophrenia, Migraines, Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tinnatus and Bulimia.

MindCare Centres of Canada founder and CEO, Iain Glass, announced the opening of the Ottawa clinic this morning from his Vancouver office. "We are delighted to offer rTMS neural therapy in the Capital Region. It is an effective, painless, non-invasive, even pleasant treatment process with no significant side effects."

The President and CEO of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, (IMHR) Dr. Zul Merali, welcomed the news of a MindCare rTMS centre. "The Ottawa MindCare Centre has agreed to donate 20% of its capacity to research of the many disease states for which rTMS may be indicated. So, this is an exciting opportunity for the IMHR."

The Ottawa MindCare Centre is operated by Gardner Church, a former Ontario Deputy Minister with a long history of involvement in the National Capital Region. Mr. Church emphasised that the MindCare clinic is a tenant at the hospital and is not otherwise associated with hospital operations. “We are very pleased to locate at the Royal Ottawa. This new building is a wonderful facility for the residents of eastern Ontario and western Quebec."

William Wilkerson, CEO of the Global Business and Economic Round Table on Addiction and Mental Health, congratulated Church and Glass on the new centre. Wilkerson observed, "rTMS and its surgical variant, deep brain stimulation, are the first completely new technologies for treating neural disorders in fifty years. It’s high time we have new tools to tackle some of our most serious mental health issues."

Physicians and patients may request information or book an appointment by calling the Centre directly at 613-569-RTMS(7867), faxing 613-715-5833, or e-mailing info@mindcarecentres.com The clinic has a toll-free line for out of town calls: 1.888.762.7867.

Media contact: Gardner Church, Ottawa MindCare Centre 613.531.0711