Psychiatric Neuromodulation Course

Lesson 1 • Neurobiological Basis of Treatment

Reviews relevant neural circuits, neurotransmitter systems, and plasticity mechanisms targeted by interventional tools. Grounds clinical decision-making in mechanistic understanding.

Lesson 2 • Overview of Available Modalities

Surveys the full spectrum of approved and investigational interventional modalities. Enables clinicians to match patient profiles to appropriate treatment categories.

Lesson 3 • Defining Interventional Psychiatry

Clarifies scope, terminology, and boundaries distinguishing interventional from pharmacological psychiatry. Provides the conceptual anchor for all subsequent modality-specific content.

Lesson 1 • Contraindication Screening

Identifies absolute and relative contraindications across all major interventional modalities. Prevents adverse events through systematic pre-procedure risk stratification.

Lesson 2 • Outcome Measurement and Baseline Tools

Introduces validated rating scales and functional measures used before and after treatment. Establishes a quantitative framework for tracking clinical progress.

Lesson 3 • Comprehensive Pre-Treatment Evaluation

Outlines the full pre-treatment workup including psychiatric, medical, and neurological assessment. Connects thorough evaluation to reduced adverse event risk.

Lesson 4 • Shared Decision-Making with Patients

Teaches structured communication frameworks for presenting interventional options to patients and families. Builds patient autonomy and realistic expectation-setting into the selection process.

Lesson 1 • Electrode Placement and Stimulus Parameters

Teaches electrode placement configurations and stimulus dosing strategies to optimise efficacy and minimise side effects. Directly impacts cognitive outcomes and seizure adequacy.

Lesson 2 • Pre-ECT Workup and Preparation

Details the medical clearance process, anaesthesia coordination, and patient preparation steps. Ensures procedural safety through systematic pre-treatment protocols.

Lesson 3 • Continuation and Maintenance ECT

Covers scheduling, tapering, and long-term management strategies for continuation and maintenance ECT. Addresses relapse prevention as a core component of the treatment plan.

Lesson 4 • Managing Acute Side Effects

Addresses immediate post-ictal complications including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cognitive effects. Prepares clinicians to respond safely in the treatment suite.

Lesson 1 • TMS Physics and Device Technology

Explains electromagnetic induction principles, coil types, and device specifications relevant to clinical practice. Grounds safe device operation in physical and engineering fundamentals.

Lesson 2 • Standard and Accelerated Protocols

Compares conventional, high-frequency, low-frequency, and accelerated TMS protocols across indications. Enables protocol selection matched to clinical urgency and patient needs.

Lesson 3 • Motor Threshold Determination

Teaches standardised methods for measuring resting and active motor threshold as the basis for dosing. Accurate threshold measurement directly determines treatment safety and efficacy.

Lesson 4 • TMS Safety and Adverse Event Management

Covers contraindication screening, seizure risk mitigation, and management of common adverse events. Ensures a safe treatment environment across all patient populations.

Lesson 1 • Intranasal Esketamine Administration

Covers approved administration procedures, REMS programme requirements, and patient monitoring for esketamine. Ensures regulatory compliance and clinical safety in office-based settings.

Lesson 2 • IV Ketamine Infusion Protocols

Details dosing regimens, infusion settings, and monitoring requirements for IV ketamine administration. Standardised protocols reduce variability and improve safety outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Managing Dissociative and Adverse Effects

Addresses acute dissociation, haemodynamic changes, and abuse potential as key safety considerations. Prepares clinicians to intervene promptly and document adverse events accurately.

Lesson 4 • Long-Term Maintenance and Relapse Prevention

Examines maintenance dosing schedules, combination strategies, and criteria for treatment discontinuation. Addresses the challenge of sustaining rapid antidepressant effects over time.

Lesson 1 • Magnetic Seizure Therapy

Introduces MST as a focal convulsive therapy with a potentially improved cognitive side-effect profile. Positions MST within the convulsive therapy landscape relative to ECT.

Lesson 2 • Focused Ultrasound in Psychiatry

Reviews low-intensity focused ultrasound neuromodulation and its investigational psychiatric applications. Prepares clinicians to evaluate emerging evidence critically as the field develops.

Lesson 3 • Evaluating Emerging Technologies

Provides a framework for critically appraising new interventional technologies before clinical adoption. Ensures evidence-based gatekeeping as novel modalities enter the market.

Lesson 4 • tDCS Mechanisms and Evidence

Explains polarity-dependent cortical excitability changes and reviews clinical trial evidence for psychiatric indications. Establishes the scientific basis for tDCS as a complementary intervention.

Lesson 1 • DBS Mechanisms and Psychiatric Targets

Reviews circuit-level mechanisms and evidence for DBS targets in treatment-resistant depression and OCD. Establishes the neurobiological rationale for target selection.

Lesson 2 • Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression

Covers VNS mechanism, implantation overview, and long-term management for treatment-resistant depression. Distinguishes VNS from other invasive modalities in terms of onset and maintenance.

Lesson 3 • Programming and Parameter Optimisation

Teaches DBS programming principles including contact selection, amplitude, frequency, and pulse width adjustment. Parameter optimisation is the primary tool for maximising clinical benefit.

Lesson 4 • Surgical Procedure and Device Implantation

Provides a procedural overview of DBS implantation including stereotactic targeting and hardware components. Enables psychiatrists to collaborate effectively with neurosurgical teams.

Lesson 1 • Clinical Decision-Making Across Modalities

Applies a structured algorithm for selecting among interventional options based on diagnosis, urgency, and patient factors. Integrates evidence, patient preference, and resource availability into decisions.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring, Documentation, and Outcomes Tracking

Establishes systematic approaches to clinical documentation, outcome data collection, and performance benchmarking. Supports continuous quality improvement and regulatory compliance.

Lesson 3 • Navigating Complex and Refractory Cases

Addresses clinical reasoning for patients who fail multiple interventional modalities or present with comorbidities. Builds advanced problem-solving skills for the most challenging clinical scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Multidisciplinary Team Coordination

Defines roles, communication protocols, and collaborative workflows within interventional psychiatry teams. Effective team coordination directly improves patient safety and treatment continuity.