If you would like a consultation for neuronavigated rTMS or more information about esketamine
Call our Clinic 780.665.4969
When you need the best personalized precision treatments available for your mental health and well being... Give our precision neuromedicine clinics a call. We specialize in neurogenomics, pharmacogenomics and the most accurate and effective delivery of MRI and CT-guided (neuronavigated) rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation). We are authorized to offer intranasal esketamine treatments for rapid relief of depression and anxiety with enhanced safety and efficacy.
News //
rTMS for Treatment-Resistant Depression is Publically-Funded by Alberta Health
The recent pandemic and health care crisis across Canada especially in mental health care has made it critical that patients can access necessary treatments like rTMS. At Precision NeuroClinics, we are firm believers in a public funded system and maintain the policy that rTMS treatments for treatment-resistant depression are delivered free of charge under direct supervision of a psychiatrist.
PNC Medical Director and PNC-API collaboration featured in recent U of A publication
September 18, 2019
Read More from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta.
Video //
Dr. Morin is a neuronavigation and neuroimaging fanatic! Here is an example of neuronavigated rTMS.
My clinical experience with rTMS and ketamine treatments and having the privilege to help others with these modalities is truly inspiring.
Kevin Morin BSc(Pharm), MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
About Us
We are an interventional psychiatry sub-specialty clinic in Rice Howard Place (formerly Scotia Place) in downtown Edmonton, AB. We began in order to fill a gap in mental health services. Our focus on patient-centered care and improved outcomes has allowed us to develop care pathways that incorporate the best technologies for effective treatment delivery. We are a multidisciplinary team that includes psychologists, physicians and experts in functional neuroimaging. Our Medical Director is Dr. Kevin Morin, a psychiatrist and pioneer of clinical rTMS and outpatient ketamine treatments in the Edmonton Zone. He is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta and has published numerous scientific articles and patents in metabolic and functional imaging and in the Precision Clinical Medicine arena. He has extensive clinical experience and has lectured and taught medical students and residents for nearly two decades at the University of Alberta and at Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Our Director of Clinical Services and Research is Dr. Param Bhardwaj. We are experts in the use of neuroimaging technologies to improve the accuracy of delivery, safety and effectiveness of clinical rTMS, ketamine and esketamine. Our clinical expertise and strategies for minimizing benzodiazepines and Z-drug (Zopiclone and Zolpidem) use during rTMS and optimization of ketamine treatments has led to improved outcomes. We have collaborations with the University of Alberta through the Rehab Robotics Lab and through Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) initiative at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta. We are involved with clinical trials in cutting-edge technology and are currently collaborating with the University of Alberta and the Rehab Robotics Lab with a clinical trial examining the effects of an Artificial Intelligence-informed Virtual Reality app on brain network connectivity in participants with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This exciting project highlights our interests, expertise and involves emerging advances in network neuroscience, AI, VR, EEG Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and real-time signal processing with machine learning paradigms. For more information about this trial and how to participate in it please click on this link. www.bethecure.ca
Neuronavigated rTMS
It is clear from published studies that when rTMS is delivered with image-guided technology (neuronavigation) then better outcomes are observed. It is known that small deviations in targeting the stimulation site in the brain can lead to treatment failure. Neuronavigated rTMS is a more personalized treatment approach. Clinically meaningful response to treatment occurs in the majority (greater than 60%) but not everyone and so there are no guarantees that rTMS treatment will be effective for everyone but we try and optimize all variables that may contribute to a good outcome. For example, we will work with you and your healthcare providers to minimize benzodiazepine and Z-drug use which is known to contribute to poor outcomes with rTMS treatment. Ideally, we attempt to minimize benzodiazepine use before rTMS treatment is initiated. Although many patients may have MRI or CT scans of their brain when they come to PNC, this is not absolutely required as we can use a standard template for accurate neuronavigation that is warped depending on the size and shape of the head. rTMS treatments usually require 20 to 30 sessions over 4 to 6 weeks.
Ketamine and Esketamine Treatments
Ketamine has emerged as a revolutionary new safe treatment and it has received approval from Health Canada for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. It is delivered by intranasal spray administration for treatment-resistant depression with profound effects that can be extremely rapid. Esketamine has potent antidepressant effects and at PNC we offer additional therapeutic modalities with intranasal esketamine to improve long term outcomes. We no longer offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with any form of ketamine at the current time but we are authorized to provide esketamine without psychotherapy in a safe and comfortable environment. Moreover, ketamine treatments have demonstrated rapid and significant antidepressant effects without psychotherapy. We have provided hundreds of successful treatments. An initial course of treatment with intranasal esketamine involves eight initial treatments (2 treatments per week over 4 weeks) then treatments that are less frequent and tailored to individual response to treatment.
Some of our recent academic contributions in the area are listed below:
Sherry-Anne Muscat, Glenn Hartelius, Courtenay Richards Crouch and Kevin W. Morin
An Integrative Approach to Ketamine Therapy May Enhance Multiple Dimensions of Efficacy: Improving Therapeutic Outcomes With Treatment Resistant Depression Front. Psychiatry, Nov. 24, 2021 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.710338/full
Sherry-Anne Muscat, Glenn Hartelius, Courtenay Richards Crouch and Kevin W. Morin
Optimized Clinical Strategies for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Integrating Ketamine Protocols with Trauma and Attachment-Informed Psychotherapy Psych, 4, 119-141, 2022
https://doi.org/10.3390/psych4010012
Sherry-Anne Muscat, Geralyn Dorothy Wright, Kristy Bergeron, Kevin W. Morin, Courtenay Richards Crouch and Glenn Hartelius
Ketamine-Assisted and Culturally-Attuned Trauma Informed Psychotherapy as Adjunct to Traditional Indigenous Healing: Effecting Cultural Collaboration in Canadian Mental Health Care Behav Sci ,11, 118, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11090118
Evidence-based precision treatments and measures. Measuring up the options
At PNC, we specialize in evidence-based precision medicine by specializing in measurement. All of our neuronavigation equipment and software, MRI and CT-image data processing and display software, clinical measuring devices and TMS devices are CE-compliant and approved for clinical use by Health Canada and FDA in the USA. We measure outcomes diligently and offer the best value for your investment in your mental health and well being.