Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. TMS is typically used when other depression treatments haven't been effective.
Highly focused magnetic field pulses used in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy gently stimulate these nerve cells. Evidence shows that TMS is effective in the treatment of moderate to severe depression in patients with a history of treatment resistance.
TMS is a noninvasive technological breakthrough that involves applying a series of short magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in areas of brain known to be associated with major depression. The treatment for depression is sometimes called repetitive TMS (rTMS) because repetitive magnetic pulses are delivered.
Aside from coordinating patient services for TMS providers, TMS techs complete a variety of administrative tasks. These tasks commonly include scheduling patient appointments with medical scheduling software, collecting patient payments for treatment, and abiding by HIPAA laws in managing medical records.
Most TMS providers find that TMS has a success rate at between 70% or 80%, meaning that the vast majority of individuals find significant relief after treatment. About 50% of people experience complete remission, meaning that the symptoms of depression are absent after just one course of treatment.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments. ECT involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia.
VA/DoD recommendations44 from the United States state that there is insufficient evidence for the use of TMS as a first-line therapy, but that it may be considered as an alternative treatment in specific cases (i.e. patients who are treatment resistant, or have a severe and chronic condition).
TMS is an outpatient procedure, in which the patient stays awake the entire time and can be performed in a doctor's office in less than 30 minutes. ECT is a procedure typically administered in a hospital with the patient sedated under anesthesia and can require an inpatient stay.
Patients receive TMS 5 days a week. A typical course of rTMS is 4 to 6 weeks. However, this can vary depending on an individual's response to treatment.
While psychiatrists can universally offer Deep TMS treatment, many states allow other physicians, as well as nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and prescribing clinical psychologists to do so, too.
Some patients start to feel the benefits of TMS treatment within the first 2 weeks of treatment. Others don't notice the effects until several weeks into treatment. Younger people may experience the benefits of TMS faster than older people because their brains adapt faster to changes.
While TMS does not worsen symptoms for patients who are correctly diagnosed with a condition that TMS is known to treat (such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD), TMS may possibly worsen symptoms for patients with conditions that TMS are not know to treat, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.