Introduction to TMS therapy

Non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, FDA cleared 

TMS has been recommended by the American Psychiatric Association since 2010 for the treatment of major depressive disorder. 

TMS is free from common antidepressant drug side effects such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction. It is a non-invasive treatment, and does not require anesthesia. TMS is not to be confused with ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy), and it does not affect cognitive function such as memory.  Patients may resume daily activities right after treatment.  

The MagVenture TMS therapy procedure 

• An initial session where the patient's individual stimulation level (also known as motor threshold) is determined 
• 5 treatment sessions per week during a period of normally 4-6 weeks.
• The duration of a standard TMS treatment session is  between 19-37 minutes. In 2018, MagVenture also received FDA clearance for a newer, and much faster protcol called Express TMS. This procedure is similar to standard TMS  but a session only lasts 3 minutes. Read more about Express TMS here
  
• Maintenance treatment if needed.