Dr. Mark George's Work Profiled by NOVA

MUSC's Mark George will be featured in the PBS show "NOVA scienceNOW," hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, about his work in treating depression and pain, airing on February 2, 2011 on PBS (Magnetic Mind Control).

NOVA's series on cutting edge neuroscience methods brought them to MUSC to learn more about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). 

The Brain Stimulation Division in the Department of Psychiatry are world leaders with this technology, particularly in translating ideas about circuits in the brain into using TMS as a treatment. In fact, TMS was FDA approved as a treatment for depression in 2008 based in large part on the initial and then subsequent studies performed here at MUSC. 

The NOVA team also filmed some of the other important uses of TMS: examples of using TMS as a neuroscience tool to knock-in or knock out regional brain activity and change behavior.  They also spent time with Dr. Jeff Borckardt and Dr. Scott Reeves of the Anesthesia department, who have pioneered TMS as a potential anti-pain treatment.