If you are fighting a personal battle with depression and haven’t achieved success with traditional medication treatment, you are not alone. In fact, over 5 million adults in the United States are treated for depression and unable to find relief with antidepressant medication, while others may experience improvement but find the side effects of the medication intolerable. TMS Therapy treats major depression without medication.
High Country Behavioral Health offers Magstim TMS Therapy in our Idaho Falls office.
What is Magstim TMS Therapy?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a form of safe, non-invasive brain stimulation. Its application has been used for neuroscientific and clinical research around the world for over 30 years. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Magstim TMS Therapy systems for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. It continues to be recommended by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for Major depressive Disorder (MDD) since 2010.
Magstim TMS Therapy uses short pulses of magnetic energy to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. These magnetic pulses are delivered to the area in the brain that researchers believe is responsible for emotional judgement and mood regulation. The rapid magnetic pulses created by the TMS system, pass through the skull and generate an electric current in the brain directly under the treatment coil. These electric currents cause neurons to fire and stimulate surrounding brain cells.
When a nerve cell ‘fires’, an electrical impulse travels along its length. It communicates with other nerve cells by releasing neuro-transmitters, which create an electrical impulse in other cells. In depressed patients, the electrical activity in certain areas of the brain have been shown to be reduced.
TMS uses a focused electromagnetic coil, to rapidly pulse a magnetic field to the targeted area of the brain. The magnetic pulses induce an electrical current in the brain, stimulating the nerve cells, increasing the brain activity to normal levels.
What to expect during TMS treatment?
During treatment, the magnetic coil which delivers TMS is positioned on the head. You will hear a clicking sound and feel a tapping sensation on your head when the magnetic pulses are delivered. Many patients watch television or read during treatment.
TMS has few known side effects. The most common side effects are mild scalp discomfort or headaches during treatment, but normal activities can typically be resumed immediately after treatment.
Is Magstim TMS Therapy right for you?
TMS therapy is appropriate for most adults with depression, who have failed to achieve satisfactory results from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. However, not all patients are appropriate candidates for TMS Therapy. Patients with a history of seizures or who have metal implants or objects in or near their head are not candidates for TMS Therapy.
If you have been diagnosed with depression and medication is not working, or the side effects are intolerable, you should ask your doctor about TMS therapy. For more information or to find out how to get started with TMS treatment, contact us at our Idaho Falls, ID location or visit Magstim.com.
Click here to watch a Magstim TMS Therapy video!
Magstim TMS Therapy
Target area
TMS-trained physician conducting TMS on a patient.