It is not unusual for patients to suggest a treatment option that's unfamiliar to their physician. Your physician might not know about the tDCS-LTE™ System as a treatment option for Major Depression. Since you will need to receive tDCS-LTE™ treatment at your doctors office, Soterix Medical has developed an information page designed to help you start a conversation with your physician about the therapy.
Most doctors are familiar with electrical stimulation approaches like Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and a magnetic stimulation approach like repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for medication resistant depression. ECT which has been used for decades is usually reserved for severe cases of major depression and requires sedation, VNS involves surgery, and TMS involves seizure risk. Depression tDCS-LTE™ does not require sedation, is non-invasive, and has no seizure risk making it the right first step for many patients.
The unique Soterix Medical tDCS-LTE™ System offers a new option in managing depressive symptoms. If you or a loved one might benefit from tDCS-LTE™, please contact us online and a Soterix Medical representative will be in touch soon.
It's an abbreviation for transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.
The tDCS-LTE™ system is a non-invasive therapy approved in select countries for the treatment of Major Depression. tDCS-LTE™ is the first and only optimized tDCS based system approved for the safe and effective clinical treatment of depressive symptoms.
While you sit, electrode patches are applied to the head using a specially designed cap or strap. Wires connect the patches to a small battery-powered device that can be placed on a table next to you. For about 20 minutes, mild direct electrical current (DC) then stimulate specific positions of our brain found to be hypoactive when suffering from major depression. Patients typically report a mild tingling sensation during the session that stops at the end.
Patients receive tDCS-LTE™ at their doctor’s office based on a schedule that is convenient to them. Most choose to have the stimulation therapy 3 to 5 times a week.
Patients may try tDCS-LTE™ if they have been diagnosed with major depression and the symptoms are not successfully managed with drug therapy or there are bad side-effects from the drug therapy. tDCS-LTE™ is a non-drug therapy with no significant side effects.
tDCS-LTE™ System was invented by an international team of doctors and researchers and was first tested at Harvard Medical School. tDCS-LTE™ therapy is the first clinical system using tDCS to treat major depression that is available to patients throughout select countries.
A patient must have a physician's prescription and supervision to receive tDCS-LTE™ therapy.
No, at this time tDCS-LTE™ is not covered by insurance, please check back regularly for updates on reimbursement.
Your doctor will discuss billing options with you. Typically, patients pay per session (doctors visit) with 4-6 weeks of regular therapy recommended. For example, if you receive 4 sessions per week for 5 weeks, that is 20 sessions. Often, after benefiting from tDCS-LTE™ therapy, patients may choose to visit their doctor again if symptoms return for a "booster" session.
