TORONTO, April 24, 2019 - The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is pleased to announce it has received a new $10 million donation from the Temerty Foundation in support of the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention at CAMH. Established by an initial $7.4 million gift from the Temerty family in 2012, the Temerty Centre has since become a world leader in brain stimulation treatment, research and training.
At the forefront of clinical trials for brain stimulation, the Temerty Centre has contributed to the evidence leading to the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) around the world. This non-invasive, patient-focused treatment is effective in 30 to 50 per cent of patients, and because magnetic stimulation is targeted to a small area, patients experience little to no side-effects.
In the past year alone, CAMH researchers have demonstrated that rTMS and Magnetic Stimulation Therapy (MST) are effective in reducing suicidal ideation and that a three-minute version of rTMS is just as effective as the standard 37-minute therapy, meaning far more people can potentially benefit from the treatment.
“Thanks to the Temerty family, we’ve treated more than 3,000 patients using novel brain stimulation treatments since 2012,” said Dr. Jeff Daskalakis, Co-Director of the Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention. “With this new gift, we are going to improve the real-world effectiveness of current treatments and help people stay well. We’re also focused on establishing the centre as a system leader, training more experts in brain stimulation across Ontario and improving access to rTMS for more Canadians with mental illness.”
"Brain stimulation treatment at CAMH has changed my life in so many ways," says Shelley Hofer, who has had treatment-resistant depression for most of her life. "I really wish it had been around a long time ago because I believe it would have been my go-to treatment. In my personal opinion, I feel rTMS could improve the lives of so many people who are still struggling to find the answers to their own mental illness."
Champions of mental health and technology-enabled health care, the Temerty family is helping the Temerty Centre to expand to new frontiers of brain stimulation research, including vulnerable populations and complex mental illnesses.
“My family and I are tremendously proud of the Temerty Centre’s global leadership and impact to date. We are thrilled to continue our support of CAMH and its life-changing work in therapeutic brain stimulation,” said Jim Temerty. “Now it’s time to build on this success and accelerate the Temerty Centre’s research and innovation efforts in order to bring results—and hope—to more people sooner.”
“The Temerty family’s ongoing commitment to mental health research has made a huge difference in the lives of so many patients at CAMH,” said CAMH Foundation President and CEO Deborah Gillis. “We are truly grateful for their support.”
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please follow @CAMHnews on Twitter.
For further information:
Media Contact: Sean O'Malley, Media Relations, CAMH, 416-595-6015 or media@camh.ca