Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive treatment using magnetic pulses to stimulate brain nerve cells. It’s safe, effective, and commonly used for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) — with 30%-64% of patients reporting an improvement in their symptoms. TMS has been used to treat anxiety for more than 20 years and can help reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Research suggests TMS may also be effective for treating bipolar depression (more mixed results on treating bipolar mania), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, pain, and substance use disorders (SUD) — especially for those who haven’t benefitted from other treatments. Treatment details

  • An electromagnetic coil is placed on the scalp near the forehead. Short magnetic pulses are painlessly directed into a brain area controlling moods
  • Sessions are typically 40-minutes long, given daily over 3-4 weeks.
  • Person is awake during treatment—unlike Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), anesthesia is not used.
  • Like ECT, several sessions occur over a period of weeks.
  • Rapidly administered pulses—called repetitive TMS (rTMS)—can provide longer lasting changes in brain activity. See Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
  • Few reported side effects of TMS — usually mild and diminish over the course of treatment. Most serious risk is seizures, but this is very rare (about 0.03%), with no evidence of permanent damage

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