Patients suffering from major depression (for example) do not always get satisfactory results from treatment with antidepressants. This is also true for other mental health conditions. In addition, in many cases, drug therapies have unpleasant side-effects that are difficult for patients to cope with – persistent fatigue, feelings of nausea, sexual dysfunction, etc. Moreover, in patients with comorbidities (multiple associated diseases), the psychiatrist may be limited in prescribing treatment by those drugs that the patient is already taking for other conditions – so that in extreme cases psychiatric medication may be very restricted.

In this case, if you or a loved one have already unsuccessfully tried several approaches in treating a particular mental health condition, TMS / Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation may be a suitable option for you for reducing symptoms and improving quality of your life. You can discuss this with your psychiatrist during your periodic consultation/assessment to receive a recommendation for TMS treatment.

🗸 Depression (FDA-approved treatment since 2008)
🗸 Anxiety
🗸 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
🗸 Addictions (alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, etc.)
✓ Chronic Pain
✓ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
✓ Insomnia
✓ Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia
✓ Panic Attacks
✓ Memory, attention, and concentration disorders
✓ Helps in post-stroke recovery (motor deficit, aphasia, etc.)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation and neurostimulation procedure that repetitively stimulates nerve cells in the brain to function normally or at optimized parameters.

Particularly as a treatment for mental conditions, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is significantly helpful in alleviating symptoms. The therapeutic effect of TMS is achieved through repetitive stimulation (rTMS) of specific brain areas involved in certain psychiatric and neurological conditions where it is recommended as a treatment method.

During a TMS treatment session, a device containing an electromagnetic coil is placed near your head. The electromagnet releases a magnetic pulse that stimulates those nerve cells in the region of the brain involved in the mental condition you are treating, activates those regions of the brain that have low activity, and thus generates effects and manifestations in the psychological plane. This procedure does not involve significant pain or discomfort.

Each treatment session usually lasts ⏲️ between 3 and 30 minutes and is recommended to be repeated about 5 times a week. The duration of a full course of treatment can generally be 📅 between 4 and 6 weeks but it can be longer or shorter – your psychiatrist will make the necessary recommendations during the consultation regarding the duration, frequency and other details of treatment, depending on your condition (pathology and its severity) and other parameters that you discuss together.

TMS was invented in 1985, but the principles behind TMS date back to 1845 when Michael Faraday, an English physicist, observed that an electric current passed through a wire coil creates a magnetic field. By modulating the electric current that powers the coil, he was able to determine that this electromagnetic field induces a secondary current in another conductor (in the case of TMS, this is the nervous system itself).

In 1896, the first use of magnetic fields in humans was reported, and in 1902, two doctors from Vienna used magnetic fields in the treatment of “depression and neuroses.”

In 1985, Anthony Barker and his collaborators built the first magnetic transcranial brain stimulator. Snce magnetic fields can pass through the skull with little resistance, scientists today can induce currents in certain cortical areas using TMS.

In 2008, TMS was first indicated for the treatment of depression. Subsequently, the FDA recommended the treatment for OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and neuropathic pain. Since then, TMS has been the focus of numerous studies, and the number of TMS providers has grown worldwide.

The development of TMS technology over time has made transcranial magnetic stimulation, alongside MRI, one of the most important means of exploring brain function.