Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: An Overview
Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy, also known as TMS therapy, is non-invasive treatment that involves stimulating the brain with large magnets. It is a painless outpatient procedure for which the patient is awake. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a TMS device as a safe way to alter brain activity and treat depression in some cases.
Why Use TMS Therapy?
Transcranial magnetic stimulation can be used for depression treatment, often in patients whose depression has not responded to traditional therapies, such as antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. In such cases, depression is classified as “treatment-resistant.”
TMS depression therapy works by stimulating the nerves in an area of the brain associated with the symptoms of depression — the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain helps regulate mood. Researchers believe that the left prefrontal cortex functions abnormally in people with clinical depression. TMS therapy targets the left prefrontal cortex in order to change the activity in that area.
How Does TMS Therapy Help Treat Depression?
During TMS therapy, a pulsed magnetic field encourages the flow of electricity in the brain via a very small electrical current. This current flow can stimulate the release of three neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) in the brain that are linked to mood.
The outpatient procedure takes about forty minutes and is pain-free (though in some cases, it can cause headaches). TMS depression treatment generally lasts four to six weeks, with one treatment administered per day.
The benefits of TMS therapy include:
- It can be done in a doctor’s office or outpatient clinic.
- It is noninvasive.
- It requires no anesthesia.
- Patients have to do very little to prepare for the procedure.
As with any medical procedure, there are potential side effects, but these occur in few patients and are generally mild.
TMS Depression Treatment
TMS depression treatment is a safe and effective depression treatment for many patients. In a NeuroStar TMS Therapy® clinical trial in 2008, approximately one third of patients experienced complete relief of their depression symptoms at the end of six weeks. Approximately half the patients in this same clinical trial experienced significant relief of their depression symptoms.
This NeuroStar TMS Therapy® clinical trial studied adult patients whose depression symptoms did not include psychosis. TMS for depression may be less successful in depression patients who experience psychosis and in elderly depressed patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is also not recommended for patients who have non-removable metallic implants in the head or by patients with pacemakers, vagus nerve stimulators or similar medical devices.
Finding a TMS Therapy Provider
Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy is not yet widely available in the United States. One provider is the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The Internet is a great tool for finding a transcranial magnetic stimulation provider. For example, patients can visit the Neuronetics website to find a provider of NeuroStar TMS Therapy®.
Depression can be a debilitating disease, and traditional treatments don’t work for everyone. For depression patients that have not responded to medication or psychotherapy — or for those who experience uncomfortable side effects on medication — transcranial magnetic stimulation offers a new option.
Resources
Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Transcranial magnetic stimulation. Retrieved May 19, 2010 from the Mayo Clinic website: www.mayoclinic.com/health/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/MY00185.
Neuronetics Staff. 2010. Efficacy and safety. Retrieved May 19, 2010 from the Neuronetics website: neuronetics.com/Prod-Efficacy.aspx.
Neuronetics Staff. 2010. How TMS therapy works. Retrieved May 19, 2010 from the Neuronetics website: neuronetics.com/Prod-How.aspx.
Neuronetics Staff. 2010. NeuroStar TMS Therapy® clinical trial results. Retrieved May 19, 2010 from the Neuronetics website: neuronetics.com/Research-Clinical.aspx.
Neuronetics Staff. 2010. The NeuroStar TMS Therapy® system. Retrieved May 19, 2010 from the Neuronetics website: neuronetics.com/Prod-System.aspx.