Mental health: Psychiatrist to highlight tech-based treatment at Vanguard summit

By Sola Ogundipe

Young Nigerians battling mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, who fail to respond to conventional treatment could have another treatment option known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulatio, TMS, as an additional pathway for managing the conditions.

Dr Olufemi Oluwatayo, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, and Medical Director, Ikeja Specialist Clinic & TMS Centre, Lagos, will speak on TMS at the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit, which opens Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Oluwatayo’s presentation will form part of the broader discussion at the summit on the place of technology in youth mental health, examining not only the challenges technology can create but also how it may expand treatment options for young people.

The summit is themed “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria through Access, Action and Advocacy,” with the sub-theme “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing.”

In his presentation, titled “Using Technology to Manage Common Mental Health Conditions in Youths: The Role of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment,” Oluwatayo who also the Chief Executive Officer of Retreat Healthcare, Ikorodu, will examine how TMS can be used in managing depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD, particularly where conventional approaches have not produced the desired response.

“Depression, anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive disorders and PTSD are common in young people and often go unrecognised. They may not respond to the usual first line treatments, i.e. antidepressants and talking therapy. Also, common antidepressants often present with side-effects, and adherence is poor. For these reasons, TMS should be considered as a treatment option,” he argued.

According to the specialist, young people are technology savvy and are more receptive to technology-based treatment. “Research has shown that it is safe for use in young people just as in adults as it has no lasting side effects,” he said.

TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain. Explaining how it works, Oluwatayo said: “A TMS machine produces pulses that are passed through magnetic coils to generate magnetic waves. The magnetic coils are placed on specific parts of the scalp on the head to target certain parts of the brain.

“The waves from the coils induce tiny electric currents in the part of the brain that is targeted. This resets dysfunctional brain patterns associated with those conditions.”

Further, he said the treatment is tailored to the condition being treated.

“The part of the brain targeted depends on the condition being treated. The intensity of the waves and the duration of treatment also depends on the condition. Over the past 10 years or so different centres in the US, UK and Australia have developed different protocols for different conditions,” he said.

He identified two common TMS protocols are the standard type and the accelerated type. “In the standard protocol, a session lasts for 30 minutes and is given five days a week for six weeks. Whilst the accelerated protocol lasts for only a few minutes and is repeated several times a day over a two weeks period.

“The overall number of treatments for both protocols is 30 but given over a shorter period in the accelerated protocol,” he added.

On treatment outcomes, Oluwatayo said: “There are research and clinical evidence that it works in 50 percent of patients who have failed to respond to other treatments. It is well tolerated with only brief scalp aches and tiredness after the treatments, the common side effects.”

Although there will be no live demonstration at the summit, participants will see a video explaining how the treatment is administered.

“It is impossible to do a real life demonstration but I will show a video of how it is used and pictures of the machine at the clinic,” Oluwatayo said. TMS is available at the Ikeja clinic, which has partnered with a UK company for training and technical support.

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