Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain associated with mood regulation. The purpose of TMS is to:

1. Improve Symptoms of Depression: Help reduce or eliminate symptoms, especially for individuals who haven’t responded well to medications or therapy.
2. Target Brain Activity: Regulate underactive or overactive areas of the brain involved in depression to restore balance and improve mood.
3. Offer a Non-Medication Option: Provide an alternative for those who experience side effects from antidepressant medications or for those who prefer not to use medications.
4. Support Long-Term Recovery: Promote lasting improvements in mood and overall mental health with minimal side effects.

TMS is safe, painless, and typically done in a series of short outpatient sessions. It’s a highly effective option for many people struggling with depression.

It is NOT electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or shock therapy), which is an effective treatment that is much more invasive and requires general anesthesia.

TMS can also be used to treat OCD, chronic neuropathic pain, migraine headaches, and tinnitus, although most of these conditions would be considered off-label and not FDA approved (except for OCD).

TMS is also FDA cleared for the treatment of depression in adolescents down to age 15 years old using the NeuroStar device. The NeuroStar TMS device is available at Helix Neuropsychiatric Center.

The main side effects of TMS are discomfort at the treatment site, mild headaches and fatigue. Less common side effects can include lightheadedness/dizziness, nausea, sleep disturbances, and mild impairments in thinking and memory. In most cases, symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive impairments improve as the depression improves. Very rarely, people can develop tinnitus (only without earplugs) and have a seizure (less than 1 in 30,000, which is a lower risk than most medications). These side effects, if experienced, will go away after treatment is over in most cases.

The biggest hassles of TMS tend to be the cost and amount of time needed for treatment. There are accelerated treatment protocols that are being used more often, and while more data are needed, all current data and signs point to these protocols being safe and effective.

Dr. Hoftman was trained at the UCLA Neuromodulation and TMS clinical and research services, one of the top programs in the world. He was an attending TMS psychiatrist at UCLA TMS for 3 years and was involved in multiple TMS related research projects (see publications).

Please feel free to schedule a TMS evaluation and consider treatment with Dr. Hoftman at Helix Neuropsychiatric Center.