Perinatal mood disorders, which at times include treatment-resistant forms of depression, remain a major public health burden and a primary target for improvement within care models. In some cases, people with perinatal mood disorders may not respond to treatment recommendations including psychopharmacology and evidence-based therapeutic modalities. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Ketamine are FDA cleared and approved alternative treatment modalities for some of these patients who qualify under specific criteria. The availability of these alternative treatments creates opportunities for those who do not respond to first-line treatment recommendations to explore a wider range of options to feel better. Learn more about what these treatment options entail and how patients might access them with psychiatrist Dr. Merrill Sparago.
CEUs will be offered for this webinar. The webinar will be recorded and can be accessed for 1 week following the live-broadcast. If you are unable to attend live, please still register and the link to the recording will be e-mailed to you following the webinar.
OBJECTIVES:
After completing this webinar participants will be able to…
– Identify 3 features of perinatal mood disorders in conjunction with treatment-resistant depression.
– Explain the proposed mechanisms of action of both rTMS and Ketamine.
– Review the indications and evidence for use of rTMS and Ketamine.
CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Community Partners FBO Maternal Mental Health NOW is the sponsor of continuing education for this learning module and is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Community Partners FBO Maternal Mental Health NOW as the sponsor maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
SPEAKER:
Merrill Sparago, MD (he/him)
Dr. Sparago received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Hunter College, studied medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, and went on to complete his residency training in psychiatry at UCLA. Dr. Sparago received training in perinatal psychiatry at the UCLA Women’s Life Center, completed a research fellowship in perinatal mental health, and served as a volunteer clinical instructor at the UCLA Women’s Life Center. Additionally, Dr. Sparago has been a member of Postpartum Support International (PSI) where he has served on the executive board as research chair, co-developed the clinical material for the 2009 PSI/Maternal Mental Health NOW (formerly, Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Taskforce), and co-organized the PSI annual conference in Los Angeles. Dr. Sparago maintains a private practice in perinatal mental health and the integration of novel therapeutics including the use of TMS and Ketamine for treating refractory depression.