Cheryl Tama Oblander, J.D., MT (ASCP), TheraMind Services, Inc. Senior Vice President

Vernon Hills, IL, July 10, 2019 – TheraMind Services, Inc., a leading provider of advanced health care treatment for neurological and behavioral disorders, is pleased to announce that Cheryl Tama Oblander, J.D., MT (ASCP) has joined their Executive Team as Senior Vice-President, Associate General Counsel & Assistant Secretary, overseeing the company’s legal functions from clinical compliance to business development.

“Cheryl’s experience spanning clinical and legal leadership is uniquely suited to our mission to improve the lives of patients by offering the most advanced healthcare alternatives for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders,” said TheraMind Services, Inc. President, Mark Heatwole. “Cheryl’s expertise benefits our clients and the outstanding clinical services our team is able to provide, as we expand the company to meet the demand from consumers and health care providers for access to rapidly increasing options for proven effective treatments.”

Prior to joining TheraMind, Cheryl was a partner and practiced law with two large international law firms, representing clients in a wide variety of industries, including health care providers, pharmaceuticals and medical device manufacturers. Her practice areas included federal and state employment law, employee benefits, fiduciary duties, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, executive employment and compensation agreements, hiring, discipline and terminations, employment policies, legal compliance, internal investigations and employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. Cheryl was lead counsel of record in more than 100 cases, including every level of litigation from single-plaintiff matters to large scale complex and class actions. Her practice spanned the country and she is admitted to courts in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States Supreme Court.

With Theramind, Cheryl combines her many years of legal practice with her earlier health care experience. Prior to attending Loyola University Chicago School of Law, she had a decade of experience providing direct patient services. She had trained at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in its Medical Technology Program, received her Medical Technology license (American Society for Clinical Pathology), and became Senior Medical Technologist in the Department of Biochemistry. In that role, she was responsible for routine and emergency analyses of patient specimens for complex chemical and biological components, performed advanced trouble shooting for state of the art analytical equipment, evaluated test results, developed and modified clinical laboratory procedures, and established and monitored programs to ensure the accuracy of test results and to maintain compliance with all laboratory accrediting requirements.

“I am excited to join TheraMind Services, Inc., where I will combine my legal and medical experiences working with an excellent team to successfully navigate the landscape of health care advancements, compliance and coverage in this important and rapidly expanding field,” said Cheryl.

About TheraMind Services, Inc.

TheraMind Services, Inc. is committed to improving the lives of patients by providing physicians with the most advanced therapeutic, non-drug alternatives for treating a broad variety of neurological and behavioral disorders. Our doctors successfully treat patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other mood disorders. The Center also routinely treats patients suffering from a variety of neurological disorders including Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Tinnitus, Stroke-related disorders, Concussion and TBI, and others.

We employ advanced diagnostic technologies such as fMRI and genetic testing to assist our physicians and referring medical professionals in assessing patient needs. Our highly-trained staff members are committed to providing outstanding supporting services to referring medical professionals, their patients and the patients’ family members. For more information about TheraMind Services, Inc. and our TheraMind Centers, please visit https://tmsmind.com/.

New TheraMind© Center of Chicago located in landmark Willoughby Tower

Chicago, IL, July 10, 2019 — TheraMind Services, Inc., a leading provider of advanced health care treatments for neurological and behavioral disorders, is pleased to announce the opening of their new Chicago outpatient treatment center, which is centrally located in the Historic Michigan Avenue District, at 8 S. Michigan Avenue in the landmark Willoughby Tower. The 36-story Willoughby Tower, located just across from Grant Park and “The Bean,” is home to an array of renowned regional healthcare and nonprofit organizations.

Medical direction at the new Center is provided by Dr. Dawna Gutzmann, a graduate of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, who has over 20 years of experience treating patients with mood disorders and who has been affiliated with TheraMind Services, Inc. at the TheraMind Center of Skokie since 2014.

Treatment options available at the new TheraMind Center of Chicago include, in addition to traditional psychiatric services, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive, FDA-approved, high tech therapy which uses rapid magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain known to control mood. TMS treatments are outpatient procedures requiring no anesthesia or sedation and are covered by most healthcare insurers and Medicare for depression.

“Our expansion into major cities like Chicago is being driven by demand for non-drug alternatives for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders,” said TheraMind Services, Inc. President Mark Heatwole. “TMS has been demonstrated to be a highly effective therapy for treating patients suffering from depression which is not adequately managed by antidepressants. It’s not surprising, therefore, that patients are seeking the innovative medical solutions TheraMind is known to deliver. In the greater Chicago area, we serve the north and northwestern communities through our Centers in Skokie and Vernon Hills and we are delighted to now be able to offer our most advanced behavioral therapies to the downtown Chicago community.”

About TheraMind Services, Inc.

TheraMind Services, Inc. is committed to improving the lives of patients by providing the most advanced therapeutic, non-drug alternatives for treating a broad variety of neurological and behavioral disorders. Our doctors successfully treat patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other mood disorders. Our treatment centers also routinely treat patients suffering from a variety of neurological disorders including chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, tinnitus, stoke-related disorders, concussion and TBI, and others. We employ advanced diagnostic technologies such as fMRI and genetic testing to assist our physicians and referring medical professionals in assessing patient needs. Our highly-trained staff members are committed to providing outstanding supporting services to referring medical professionals, their patients and the patients’ family members.

The pace of studies being published on the effects of TMS continues to climb, recently reported to be more than 25 per week.

Two new and notable studies have confirmed the positive effect of TMS on cognitive performance and its potential implications for persons suffering from dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease. Also listed below, notable remarks on TMS therapy as a prophylactic treatment for migraine, and a study exploring Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) in men’s health.

TMS and Cognitive Performance

Duke University news: May 15, 2019
Published in the Journal PloS One. Researchers in Duke University’s Department of Neurology found that both healthy older (18 participants) as well as healthy younger adults (29 participants) who received TMS therapy performed working memory tasks better than those study participants who received a placebo. The study utilized functional Magnet Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to determine stimulation targets for LDLPFC 5Hz stimulation.

Online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation during working memory in younger and older adults: A randomized within-subject comparison L. Beynel , S. W. Davis , C. A. Crowell, S. A. Hilbig, W. Lim, D. Nguyen, H. Palmer, A. Brito, A. V. Peterchev , B. Luber, S. H. Lisanby, R. Cabeza , L. G. Appelbaum; Published: March 22, 2019

Study: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213707 
Article: www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/527727

Performed at Northwestern University, published in the Journal Neurology: fMRI-guided TMS therapy was used to stimulate the patients’ hippocampus through targeting of the parietal lobe, a brain structure with known synchronicity with the hippocampus. Sixteen (16) adults aged between 64 and 80 who exhibited normal age-related memory deficits were treated with TMS for 20 minutes per day for five (5) consecutive days. After 24 hours had elapsed following the patients’ last treatment, the study participants were retested and performed at the same cognitive level as the younger control group. Notably, a second group of older adults who received a placebo instead of TMS therapy did not show an improvement in memory function.

Network-targeted stimulation engages neurobehavioral hallmarks of age-related memory decline Aneesha S. Nilakantan, M.-Marsel Mesulam, Sandra Weintraub, Erica L. Karp, Stephen VanHaerents, Joel L. VossNeurology May 2019, 92 (20) e2349-e2354; DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000007502

https://n.neurology.org/content/92/20/e2349

TMS as Prophylactic Option for Migraine Sufferers

TMS has been FDA-approved since 2013 to treat major depression and migraines. In an additional TMS-related development, Doctor Michael Cutrer, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, told the audience at the April 2019 American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting in Philadelphia, that TMS therapy was effective in stopping the aura in Migraines and a reasonable alternative prophylactic option for migraine sufferers who feared repeated attacks.

https://www.healio.com/family-medicine/pain-management/news/online/%7B05772911-c028-4d22-9a06-58fac8bd07dd%7D/differentiating-between-migraine-treatments

HBOT in Men’s Health

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has also received a spate of new positive clinical research outcomes.

Most notably: On April 30, 2019 an article appeared in PubMed from the Med Gas Res. 2018 April 18:8(1) 29-33 entitled: “Clinical utility of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in genitourinary medicine” by Gandhi, J. et al. The authors noted that HBOT was making gradual strides in genitourinary medicine “due to its low risk and likeliness to achieve favorable results”. The authors also pointed success with HBOT in treating radiation cystitis, erectile dysfunction secondary to urethroplasty, blood testosterone and other indications.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29770194

Between 2016 and today there have been a number of clinical studies that have concluded that HBOT has a positive impact on Erectile Dysfunction although there have been some studies that found the improvement in ED without being able to determine an increase in serum testosterone levels in study participants.

Is there a study you would like to bring to our attention? Please contact us today.

Already FDA-approved to treat major depression and migraines, TMS can now be marketed as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder

Santa Barbara, Calif., September 21, 2018 – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is rapidly growing in popularity as a treatment for many neurological and mood disorders, and the cutting-edge medical technology recently reached another major milestone that should accelerate demand for the non-drug treatment option.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in August that it had approved TMS to be marketed as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The FDA previously permitted marketing TMS as a treatment for major depression in 2008 and expanded the use to include TMS for treating pain associated with certain migraine headaches in 2013.

“This is another exciting moment for everyone involved in TMS therapy, and provides additional validation for the effectiveness of TMS,” said Mark Heatwole, President of TheraMind Services, Inc. “This is an important step in the positive momentum toward making TMS a universally available treatment for those suffering from neurological and other mood disorders.”

Click here to read the full news release from the FDA.

To learn more about TMS therapy and other treatments offered at the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara, call (805) 845-4455 or visit tmsmind.com/santabarbara-ca.

About the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara

The TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara is committed to improving the lives of patients by providing physicians with the most advanced therapeutic, non-drug alternatives for treating a broad variety of neurological and behavioral disorders. Our doctors successfully treat patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other mood disorders. The Center also routinely treats patients suffering from a variety of neurological disorders including Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Tinnitus, Stroke-related disorders, Concussion and TBI, and others.

We employ advanced diagnostic technologies such as fMRI and genetic testing to assist our physicians and referring medical professionals in assessing patient needs. Our highly-trained staff members are committed to providing outstanding supporting services to referring medical professionals, their patients and the patients’ family members.

Dr. Sheldon Jordan, a leader in neuroimaging, discusses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with doctors, nurses, and members of the community on Wednesday, August 8 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital

Santa Barbara, Calif., August 16, 2018 – Dr. Sheldon Jordan, MD, FAAN is widely recognized as a leader in brain imaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) targeting techniques to treat Major Depressive Disorder and other neurological and psychological disorders.

On Wednesday, August 8^th, Dr. Jordan presented to a group of doctors, nurses, and community members at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as part of their monthly Psychiatric Grand Rounds, hosted by the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. These presentations are meant to introduce clinicians to recent advances that enhance treatment and provide a forum for discussion of topics that strengthen the relationship of psychiatry and addiction medicine to the broader Santa Barbara community.

A group of about 50 people gathered in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s Burtness Auditorium to learn about TMS and how it can be used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. TMS therapy, an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment, employs MRI-strength magnetic impulses targeted to specific regions of the brain involved in the regulation of mood.

Dr. Jordan touched on the fact that every person’s situation is unique, and that depression often works in combination with a number of other disorders, such as anxiety and rumination.

“Depression isn’t a static problem,” said Dr. Jordan. “It’s something that worsens over the course of a person’s life. All heads are different and they can’t all be treated the same way. One-size-fits-all depression treatment doesn’t work.”

Dr. Jordan has been in private practice in West Hollywood and Santa Monica since 1981, with an emphasis on interventional pain management, neuroimaging, clinical neurophysiology, and sports neurology. He currently oversees the administration of TMS therapy for patients at the TheraMind Center of Santa Monica.

To learn more about TMS therapy and other treatments offered at the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara, call (805) 845-4455 or visit tmsmind.com/santabarbara-ca.

About the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara

The TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara is committed to improving the lives of patients by providing physicians with the most advanced therapeutic, non-drug alternatives for treating a broad variety of neurological and behavioral disorders. Our doctors successfully treat patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other mood disorders. The Center also routinely treats patients suffering from a variety of neurological disorders including Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Tinnitus, Stroke-related disorders, Concussion and TBI, and others.

We employ advanced diagnostic technologies such as fMRI and genetic testing to assist our physicians and referring medical professionals in assessing patient needs. Our highly-trained staff members are committed to providing outstanding supporting services to referring medical professionals, their patients and the patients’ family members.

Michael Phelps revealed that he had at least three or four major depression spells and said, “I straight wanted to die”. On David Axelrod’s “The Axe File” podcast”, he claimed “the USOC, in my opinion, hasn’t done anything to help us transition after an Olympics. I think it’s sad. I think it’s unfortunate. It’s something that we’re working towards now.”

By speaking out about his battles with mental health, Michael, one of the most decorated Olympian in history, hopes the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) will do more to help athletes. And, he is not alone. A host of current and former athletes have recently brought mental health issues to national attention in hopes of removing the stigma of depression and suicidal impulses. Olympic swimmers, Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt, and NBA stars, Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan, have opened up about their mental health struggles. Franklin was inspired to speak out by Schmitt and Phelps and told CNN, “I feel so fortunate because I had so many incredible athletes pave the way for me” — mentioning the two swimmers by name. “Both really openly talk of their depression and what they went through. I just think we need so much more of that.”

Alpine skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, told The Washington Post, “…the hardest thing about the Olympics is the incredible emotional valley you feel after it. What is my life meant for, now that the Olympics is over. That’s kind of what it feels like.” Olympic athletes have long talked about the difficulty of coming down off their competitive highs.

Through his Michael Phelps Foundation, Michael hopes to promote swimming, as well as raising awareness about physical and mental health. He said, “every day somebody is going to have ups and downs and if we can continue to help people get out and talk about things and open up, for me that was something that completely changed my life and I was able to see a much cleaner, happier, healthier way of living. If I can honestly save a life or save two lives that’s all I want. For me, that’s way bigger than ever winning a gold metal.”

Visit The Washington Post to read the complete March 28, 2018 article.

Do you have mental health struggles? Are you battling with depression and looking for hope? Find out if TMS Therapy is right for you.

The new Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) offered at TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara was recently featured in two online publications, Amigos805.com and Noozhawk. Both articles announce the expansion of HBOT services with the addition of a second mild HBOT (mHBOT).

mHBOT is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared therapy that allows patients to breathe pure oxygen inside a flexible, soft-sided chamber under pressures, similar to diving to the bottom of a 10 ft deep swimming pool. This type of therapy was originally used to treat mountain climbers suffering from altitude sickness, but now has expanded to successfully treat traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussions, inflammation and aid in post-stroke recovery.

The doctors and certified specialists at TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara use mHBOT, supported by advanced diagnostic technologies like fMRI and genetic testing, to treat patients suffering from a broad range of neurological disorders, including migraines, concussions, TBI, neuropathy, certain autism spectrum disorders and some behavioral conditions such as depression. Other medical applications include generalized immune system enhancements, and the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s early state Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and Lyme disease.

To read the complete new articles, visit Amigos805.com or Noozhawk.

The National Institute of Mental Health is currently recruiting participants for a clinical study to see if using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to guide repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) helps locate the best area for treatment and to explore whether the efficacy of such treatment can enhanced through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Eligible participants are adults ages 18 to 65 with a major depressive disorder and current depression. The study is composed of three phases: Phase 1 will be 4 visits in 1 week where the fMRI will be done along with certain brain activity testing; Phase 2 will be conducted over 6 – 7 weeks where participants will do 30 TMS sessions combined with computer generated CBT and repeat the Phase 1 tests; and, Phase 3 will be 3 visits over three months to rate participants’ depression symptoms. A complete description of the study can be found at clinicaltrials.gov.

Low Level Light (or Laser) Therapy, also sometimes referred to as “Phototherapy”, was the subject of a recent study that sought to compare the effects of red and infrared LLLT on skeletal muscle fatigue in humans. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed on 10 healthy male volunteers. They were treated with active red LLLT (660nm) and active infrared LLLT (830nm) or an identical placebo at identical locations before exercise. The study concluded that both red LLLT and infrared LLLT therapy were significantly better in delaying muscle fatigue than placebo and, further, that there was no significant difference in result between the two active LLLT therapies. A full discussion of the study parameters and results can be found at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) was recently used in combination with metabolically supported chemotherapy (MSCT), ketogenic diet (KD) and hyperthermia (HT) to treat a 29-year old patient with Stage IV Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). The patient was admitted to the hospital in Istanbul, Turkey in October, 2016, where a whole body PET-CT scan revealed a primary tumor in her left breast, multiple left pectoral and axillary lymph nodes, multiple widespread liver masses, and an upper left nodular abdominal lesion. Following a treatment protocol consisting of MSCT, KD HT and HBOT, a follow-up full body PET-CT scan in February, 2017 showed a complete therapeutic response with no evidence of abnormal FDG uptake. The treatment protocol above was continued until April, 2017 when the patient underwent a mastectomy which revealed a complete pathological response consistent with the PET-CT scan imaging. The complete report can be seen at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

On June 12, 2017, TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara announced our role in a collaborative clinical research project with Westmont College. This Independent Review Board (IRB) approved study, under the direction of Westmont’s neuropsychopharmacologist, Dr. Ronald See, aims to evaluate the proportional levels of certain salivary substrates throughout a typical course of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), one of the primary treatment modalities used at our Center. Despite rapid advances in rTMS as a viable therapy for drug-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), understanding of the fundamental biomechanisms of rTMS and its key clinical effects are limited. The physiological measures which are the subjects of this clinical study have been shown to be linked to affective regulation, stress-responses, and autonomic nervous system activity. Previous studies have sought unsuccessfully to establish reliable biomarkers for the identification of neurobiological correlates of rTMS administration. The study being sponsored by Westmont College and the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara hypothesizes that these salivary substrates may act as reliable biomarkers for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation rTMS treatment outcomes. If proven, the study will be a significant tool for clinicians in their efforts to effectively treat patients suffering from depression.

The TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara is a unique outpatient clinic providing a combination of advanced diagnostic and neuroimaging technologies, cutting edge neuromodulation technologies including rTMS, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), low level light therapy and PEMF, as well as body-based services. Our board certified and licensed medical professionals promote mental and neurological health through an integrative model designing individual treatment protocols for our patients. We work collaboratively as mutual referrals and adjuncts to local medical professionals for the greatest benefit to our patients. We service four primary demographics: (1) those suffering from depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD and other mood disorders, (2) chronic pain and migraines, (3) traumatic brain injury and concussion, and (4) stroke.

For questions regarding our collaborative project or to make an appointment, please contact us via phone at (805)-845-4455 or via email at beusebio@tmsmind.com. We are enthusiastic about discussing the details of this study, the research behind it, referrals for patients / participants, or any other pertinent matters.

Transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS) is featured in this month’s Oprah “O” Magazine titled, “A Twinge of Relief”. The article notes the 2008 FDA approval of TMS for mildly treatment-resistant depression and outlines standard treatment information by Dr. Stephen Taylor, MD and professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Taylor describes a typical therapy treatment by stating that “magnetic coils are placed on one side of the patient’s head to induce electrical currents that cause neurons to discharge—delivering pure energy into the brain.” He highlighted that therapy typically involves four to six weeks of 30- to 40-minute sessions administered five times a week in a doctor’s office. The positive, he mentions, is that TMS can be as effective as taking antidepressants but with fewer side effects. Dr. Taylor closes by stating, “the idea that we’re able to ameliorate depression with a magnet is a pretty cool thing.”

With May being Depression Awareness month, Greatday Houston, a daily KHOU talk show, featured NeuroStar TMS Depression Therapy on their May 18, 2015 Medical Monday series. Guests included Dr. Cathy Hart, Medical Director of a local TMS Therapy Center, and a Greatday Houston viewer who had tried this new depression treatment. Dr. Hart explained how magnetic therapy works, a no pills and no surgery depression treatment, while the guest explained her struggles with depression and her TMS Therapy success story. View the show.