Is TMS For You?
TMS Therapy and Depression
TMS (Transcranial magnetic stimulation) has been studied as a possible alternative to anti-depressant medication for nearly 15 years. Many investigators throughout the world have used TMS with depressed patients, in order to substantiate its effectiveness. More than 25 major studies throughout the world have indicated that TMS is an effective treatment for patients who have not responded to anti-depressant medication.
 NeuroStar TMS Therapy was recently awarded FDA approval for the treatment of depression. The FDA reviewed convincing data that TMS was an effective treatment for patients who had not improved with medication, or who could not tolerate the side effects of medication. TMS, which uses low voltage and painless pulsed magnetic fields, appears to stimulate the part of the brain thought to be involved with mood regulation. Although we do not know the exact cause of depression, it appears that TMS works by helping to correct an imbalance of certain hormones in the brain.
Many patients report a significant improvement in their depression as early as 2 weeks into the treatment, and there is often a very marked improvement by 4 weeks. Recent studies have shown that those patients completing a 6 week successful course of TMS treatment in 50-70% of cases become depression free.
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