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The Herman Trend Alert November 25, 2009 New Electro-Magnetic Treatment for Depression "Depression" is a disease that affects over 14 million adults in the United States every year and has been characterized by the World Health Organization as the "leading cause of disability worldwide among persons five and older". In a study conducted by Employee Assistance Professionals Association, depression ranked among the top three workplace issues, costing US businesses about USD$70 Billion in medical expenditures, lost productivity and other costs, plus an additional USD$12 billion in lost workdays annually. Up until now, the best approved therapies included a class of drugs called Serotonin Re- uptake Inhibitors (SRIs), such as Paxil®, Zoloft®, and Prozac®, anti-depressants sold in pill form. Now, people with depression have an alternative that does not involve the ingestion of chemicals---or anything else for that matter. Called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), this new therapy involves the use of electro-magnets to stimulate the part of the brain that produces serotonin, the hormone believed to be most responsible for mood. Last month, Neuronetics, Inc., a privately-held medical device company that produces the NeuroStar® machine announced that its NeuroStar TMS Therapy® received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the procedure. This non-invasive (does not involve surgery) and non-systemic (does not circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body) form of neuromodulation uses highly focused, pulsed magnetic fields to stimulate function in targeted brain regions. Typical treatment protocol is daily treatment everyday for six to eight weeks. Patients are awake during the procedure and may feel a light tapping, but no pain. In randomized, double-blind studies, NeuroStar TMS Therapy-treated patients had statistically significant response and remission rates, approximately twice the rate of placebo-treated patients with no adverse effects. This alternative therapy is currently only available at selective centers throughout the US and must be administered by a licensed psychiatrist; however our forecast is that it will soon be available at centers throughout the world. We also forecast that alternative therapies like this one, using electro-magnetism to stimulate parts of the body will become increasingly important in the medical arsenal. It has been used successfully for years to promote healing after knee surgery. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. 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