The medical conference “Clinical Application of Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Technique (rTMS) at FV Hospital” took place at FV’s Auditorium during the afternoon of November 23, 2022. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new technique in Vietnam and the workshop was attended by a large number of doctors, physiotherapy technicians and nurses from FV Hospital and other hospitals in HCMC and neighbouring provinces. In addition to being held in person at FV, the programme was also live-streamed online so that medical professionals located anywhere in Vietnam could listen to each presentation.

Routine application of rTMS at FV Hospital

At the opening of the seminar, Dr Henri Maries, Deputy Medical Director of FV Hospital, thanked the Pain Clinic for initiating a conference in this academic space as well as his colleagues for taking the time to attend the conference. “TMS is a therapy that FV has used for many years. We hope that by sharing here today, we can ensure more patients have more choice in the indications of neurological treatment in the future,” said Dr Henri.

Dr Henri Maries, Deputy Medical Director, FV Hospital, speaks at the opening ceremony

Following the programme, Dr Louis Brasseur, Head of FV Hospital’s Pain Clinic, gave an overview of rTMS, a tool that was developed in the 1980s and which continues to be useful for diagnosing and preventing nerve damage, and can also help to treat damaged nerves.

Head of Pain Clinic, FV Hospital, Dr Louis Brasseur delivers an overview of rTMS

In the past, invasive procedures were the only way various areas of the cerebral cortex could be accessed to stimulate or inhibit neurotransmitters to achieve diagnostic or therapeutic goals, explained Dr Louis Brasseur. TMS uses a magnetic field to create mechanical effects on the cerebral cortex, creating electrical and chemical changes at the synapses and helping to treat neurological diseases such as depression, pain treatment, and post-stroke damage. “However, it should be noted that TMS is only a supportive therapy, not a monotherapy, in most cases,” emphasised Dr Louis.

Dr Nguyen Nam Binh, Pain Management Specialist, FV Hospital, presents the practical application of rTMS to patients at FV Clinic

After Dr Louis Brasseur’s talk, Pain Management Specialist Dr Nguyen Nam Binh (Specialist Level I, FV Hospital) presented the practical application of rTMS to patients at FV Pain Clinic. Dr Nam Binh went into detail about how to prepare the patient, operate the device and take notes when performing a therapy session. Dr Pham Thi Thuy Nga, a pain management specialist with more than five years of experience in operating rTMS equipment in pain treatment, also shared insights with attendees.

Incorporation of rTMS in neuropsychiatric treatment and rehabilitation protocols

Le Hoang Ngoc Tram, MD, MSc, an Internal Medicine Specialist Level I who works at FV’s Psychiatry Unit, presented on the application of rTMS in the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases and depression. While antidepressants often cause side effects which some patients cannot tolerate, leading to situations where patients stop taking their medication or don’t take the course as intended, reducing the effectiveness of treatment, rTMS typically does not cause side effects as long as the selection of stimulation frequency and regimen is appropriate.

Le Hoang Ngoc Tram, MD, MSc, presents on the application of rTMS in the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases

Dr Ngoc Tram shared: “Current studies show that rTMS is safe for pregnant women and foetuses, and also has a high therapeutic effect in the elderly.” In the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, rTMS is often indicated for patients with treatment-resistant depression, poor responses to treatment, depression with other psychiatric comorbidities, or concurrent treatment of other medical conditions with drugs. Currently, to increase the effectiveness of neuropsychiatric treatment, FV is also applying many different methods to the treatment regimen simultaneously, such as combining rTMS with drugs and psychotherapy.

Claus Mathiesen, MD, PhD, Application Specialist of MagVenture, shares the role of Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (rPMS) and rTMS in rehabilitation

In his presentation to conclude the seminar, Claus Mathiesen, MD, PhD, shared the role of Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (rPMS) and rTMS in Rehabilitation. Dr Mathiesen, an Application Specialist at MagVenture – a global pioneer in TMS research and applications—talked in more detail about how these methods work and clarified the indications, contraindications and issues to be aware of when performing rPMS and rTMS.

In summary, the medical conference “Clinical Application of Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Technique (rTMS) at FV Hospital” shared practical knowledge with participating doctors, technicians and nurses. Many questions and ideas were raised and discussed around this topic, creating a good premise for other upcoming events. “We are very happy to have had the opportunity to speak extensively about rTMS and we hope that we will have regular seminars of this scale in the future,” said Dr Louis Brasseur.

FV Hospital has routinely applied rTMS to relieve pain and treat neuropsychiatric diseases for several years. It is expected that, in the near future, in parallel with developing the application of rTMS and rPMS with regard to new treatment regimens, the Pain Clinic will continue to host more seminars to share the team’s new knowledge in pain management.

Some more pictures from the conference:

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