The Brain 360 Institute, based in Barcelona, is a new model of comprehensive and multidisciplinary medical center that offers solutions to neuropsychiatric and mental health problems in general with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary vision. Dr. Redolar Ripoll, a specialist in psychology, explains the center’s services and what neuromodulation consists of.
The center’s clinical processes involve professionals in Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychology and Neuropsychology, referents in different areas of mental health who offer a comprehensive and personalized treatment to all patients. In addition, they have a Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation Unit, which is equipped with the latest technological advances for the personalized treatment of pathologies as diverse as: depression, addictive behaviors, such as, for example, addictions to new technologies, tobacco, substance addiction, in the treatment of chronic pain of central origin, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorders, Parkinson’s and Stroke, among others.
The Brain 360 Institute follows a very specific protocol. The first thing that is done, in a multidisciplinary manner, by the specialists appropriate to the patient’s pathology, is to take a clinical history and a complete evaluation of the patient, carried out by the appropriate specialists in the specialties of psychiatry, neurology and psychology. All the treatments applied at the Institute, including neuromodulation, have the patient at the center of the treatment, are non-invasive and are performed on an outpatient basis.
In the case of indication of non-invasive brain stimulation, the neuromodulation specialist team plans the precise and personalized treatment to the clinical process presented by the patient. In addition, by means of a neuroimaging study, i.e. the non-invasive recording of brain activity, we identify which areas of the brain show abnormal excitability patterns. Neuromodulation is added to the specific treatments of the process, acting on the origin of the problem.
What does neuromodulation consist of?
Neuromodulation, also known as non-invasive brain stimulation, includes a set of techniques that allow modulating the excitability of the cerebral cortex, making it increase or decrease. This is especially important in pathologies in which there is scientific evidence that a brain region is not functioning as it should.
With non-invasive brain stimulation techniques it is possible to modify the pattern of functioning of that region, maintaining its long-term effects and, therefore, having a positive impact on the treatment of the pathology.
Each patient is unique and all treatments are individualized according to their needs. The non-invasive brain stimulation specialist is the one who determines the duration of treatment and sessions. In general terms, the treatment can last between one and two months, depending on the pathology, although it must be taken into account that neurological and mental health treatments can last for months due to the chronicity of their origin. Hence, pharmacological, behavioral and cognitive treatments, among others, are combined. A non-invasive brain stimulation treatment session usually lasts approximately 25 minutes on average.
Why should I undergo non-invasive brain stimulation?
Non-invasive brain stimulation significantly improves the patient’s symptoms and quality of life. It is a painless treatment that is performed on an outpatient basis. The only thing that the patient may perceive during its course is a slight vibration. As for adverse effects, these are very rare.
Non-invasive brain stimulation is indicated for most pathologies in which there is a dysfunction in the excitability of the nervous system, including major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain, fatigue in multiple sclerosis, all types of addictions and a long list of processes with treatment. In fact, in depressive disorders, 35% of patients are drug-resistant and, therefore, susceptible to treatment with brain neurostimulation.
Non-invasive brain stimulation is part of the neuroimaging and brain neuromodulation unit of the Brain 360 Institute and is added to the entire catalog of therapeutic procedures for mental health processes in its broad category of diseases or clinical processes of psychiatric, psychological, neurological, etc. pathology. There is evidence that this therapeutic complementation consolidates more time of clinical efficacy to the patient’s therapy as a whole.
How to make an appointment with a professional of the Brain 360 Institute?
To make an appointment, it can be done in person from the center in Barcelona, by email ([email protected]), by phone (936 42 71 71) or through the contact form, whose response is obtained via email, WhatsApp or video call, depending on the preferences of the person concerned.
The consultations offered by the center can be in person or by telematic means, adapting to the needs of the patients. They also attend patients who do not reside in Spain. The Institute offers, through a specific program, an accompaniment from the point of origin of the patients.
Does Brain360 have agreements with health insurance companies?
Brain360 does not work with CCAA and it is best to consult companies with reimbursement policies.