TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. This type of therapy is delivered by a MagPro X100 device built by MagVenture. The procedure has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of severe depression which has failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication.
The doctor will use medication dosing records, routine laboratory data, depressive survey scales plus a face to face interview to determine whether or not you are a candidate for TMS therapy.
TMS is a non-invasive and non-systemic treatment procedure with very benign side effects (mild headaches and/or minor scalp discomfort). TMS therapy is administered under the supervision of a physician at a clinic.
Patient is awake during the treatment and there is no need for any kind of sedation.
A typical course of treatment consists of 5 sessions per week over a 7-8 week period. Each treatment session of “Theta Burst Express TMS” lasts about 3 minutes.
During the treatment, the patient is seated in a reclined position in a comfortable treatment chair with the head supported in a relaxed position.
The coil part of the MagPro X100 will be positioned on the left front side of the head over the part of the brain called the Left Dorso-Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC).
Short bursts of electricity pass through the treatment coil, which in turn generate therapeutic magnetic fields.The magnetic fields have the ability to pass unhindered through the scalp and create intermittent small electric currents in the targeted area of the brain. As a result there is depolarization of the nerve cells in the region being stimulated.
Clinical studies have demonstrated that repetitive magnetic stimulation of the DLPFC is safe and effective to treat depression with or without associated anxiety.
Patients with a history of seizures or taking medication or drugs which lower the seizure threshold should not receive TMS therapy without discussing first with their doctor the potential risks and benefits.
