NeuroStar© Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment

TMS therapy for depression in Los Angeles, El Segundo, CA

What is NeuroStar Advanced Therapy (TMS)?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a treatment for depression for adults (21 years and above) that is effective when other treatments have failed. The exact cause of depression is not known, the leading scientific theory is that it’s caused by an imbalance of the brain’s neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells.

During a NeuroStar TMS therapy session, a magnet similar in strength to that used in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine is used to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain thought to control mood. These magnetic pulses may have a positive effect on the brain’s neurotransmitter levels, making long-term remission possible.

• Therapy sessions are conducted in your NeuroStar doctor’s office

• You remain awake during treatment, and able to return to normal activities

• It’s covered by most health insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare

NeuroStar TMS Therapy Benefits & Highlights

Non Invasive

Non invasive and non systemic so side effects are only the possible minor irritation of scalp.

19 - 37 minute

Each treatment typically lasts 19-37 minutes. Variations depends on you diagnosis.

30-36 Treatments

A typical treatment course consists of 5 treatments per week over a 7 week period.

After Treatment

You will be fully awake and alert. You can read or watch TV and return to work after with no restrictions.

Covered by Insurance

Non-drug

Proven to work

No side effects of drugs

Long Lasting Relief

FDA Cleared

How NeuroStar TMS Therapy Works

Here’s what you can expect from a NeuroStar Advanced Therapy (TMS) session:

Before Treatment

You’ll recline comfortably in the treatment chair. A small, curved magnetic coil will be positioned lightly on your head.

During Treatment

NeuroStar delivers focused magnetic stimulation directly to the target areas of the brain. You’ll hear a clicking sound and feel a tapping sensation on your head.

NeuroStar Advanced Therapy: Depending on your doctor’s recommendation, each treatment takes between 19 and 37 minutes.

After Treatment

You can resume normal activities immediately.

Because there are no effects on alertness you can drive yourself to and from treatment sessions.

In-office treatment with NeuroStar TMS Therapy typically takes 19-37 minutes and is administered 5 days a week for approximately 7 weeks.*

TMS Clinical Trials & Academic Studies

1. Carpenter LL, et al. (2012). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Major Depression: A Multisite, Naturalistic, Observational Study of Acute Treatment Outcomes in Clinical Practice. Depression and Anxiety, 29(7):587-596. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22689344

2. George MS, et al. (2010). Daily Left Prefrontal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Sham-Controlled Randomized Trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 67(5):507-516. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20439832

3. Dunner DL, et al. (2014). A Multisite, Naturalistic, Observational Study of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Patients with Pharmacoresistant Major Depressive Disorder: Durability of Benefit Over a 1-Year Follow-Up Period. J Clin Psychiatry. 75(12):1394-1401. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25271871

4. O’Reardon JP, et al. (2007). Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Acute Treatment of Major Depression: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial. Biol Psychiatry, 62(11):1208-1216. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17573044

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NeuroStar TMS FDA approved?

Certainly, it was cleared by the FDA in 2008 to help people fight depression and in 2022 for decreasing anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from major depressive disorder and as an adjunct therapy for adults with OCD. Today, NeuroStar is the top TMS choice of doctors, and over 5.6 million treatments have been delivered

Does NeuroStar TMS actually work?

Absolutely, medical treatments for depression are usually centered around antidepressants that rely on the systems in your body to deliver relief. NeuroStar Advanced TMS treatments go right to the source of depression—your brain. There are specific areas in your brain that control mood. When synapses in those mood-regulating areas are underactive, connections are broken and depression can result. NeuroStar revitalizes those dormant synapses, “waking up” the brain to function as it was meant to.

83 Measurable Improvement

A real-world study reported an 83% response rate. This means that 83% of patients that completed their NeuroStar treatment cycle saw measurable improvement in their depression symptoms.

62 Complete Remission

The same real-world study reported a 62% remission rate. This means that 62% of patients that completed their NeuroStar treatment cycle likely wouldn’t be diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) if they were first being evaluated by their doctor.

7 Decreasing Remission with Medications

By comparison, in a separate study not involving NeuroStar, for patients who have not found relief from 3 or more antidepressants, the chance of remission from subsequent medications is less than 7%.

How is NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System used for treatment?

NeuroStar TMS Therapy® is indicated for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. The NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System is available upon the prescription of a licensed physician. It can be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings including physicians’ offices, clinics, and hospitals.

What is a NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System prescription?

“Prescription” means that the attending physician has determined that the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System is indicated for use in a particular patient. In addition to patient selection, the attending physician should oversee initial patient motor threshold determinations, treatment parameter definitions, and overall TMS treatment course planning for each patient.

How is NeuroStar TMS different from antidepressant medications?

At Newport TMS Treatment Center, NeuroStar TMS therapy doesn’t go through the digestive system or affect the rest of the body, so it has none of the common side effects associated with medications. NeuroStar focuses treatment precisely on the source of the depression: the brain. Our patented Contact Sensing technology ensures the prescribed dosage, every treatment, and every pulse. This allows NeuroStar to treat depression safely, without the common side effects of medication.

Do NeuroStar TMS treatments hurt?

No, it does not. During the session, you will feel a tapping sensation on your head. Each treatment session lasts around 19 minutes. Some NeuroStar patients experience mild to moderate pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site during the first week of treatment. This is usually temporary and subsides in subsequent treatments.

Is NeuroStar the same as ECT (electroconvulsive therapy)?

NeuroStar TMS Treatment is not ECT (or electroconvulsive ”shock” therapy). NeuroStar employs TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), which uses magnetic waves similar in strength to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). NeuroStar TMS is non-invasive, precise, and focused, targeting treatment at the source of the depression in your brain.

ECT uses direct electrical current and it must be done under anesthesia. With Neurostar TMS you are fully awake and alert during treatment and may resume daily activities immediately afterwards.

How does the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System work?

Since the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System produces a time varying magnetic field, its intended effect derives fundamentally from Faraday’s Law, which asserts that a time-varying magnetic field produces an electrical current in an adjacent conductive substance. During TMS, the conductive substance of interest is the brain, in particular the region of the cortex that lies beneath the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System treatment coil.

The electric current induced in this region of the cortex travels in a path orthogonal to the direction of the alternating magnetic field with the point of maximum field strength and greatest current located directly beneath the center of the coil, which is the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System component that rests against the patient’s head and transmits magnetic pulses to the patient’s brain. The induced current is tangential to the scalp at the cortical surface, and diminishes in magnitude with increasing depth.

In the targeted area of the motor cortex, where field strength achieves the stimulation threshold, it is postulated that neuronal depolarization occurs. This type of magnetic field is not intended to induce a seizure during therapeutic use. The peak magnetic field strength achieved with each pulse in the cortex is approximately 0.5 Tesla.

Although the mechanism of action is unknown, it is hypothesized that the NeuroStar TMS Therapy® System causes neuronal depolarization and changes in brain functional activity that may be associated with various physiologic changes in the brain associated with symptomatic relief of depression in the indicated population.

How long does it take to recover from treatment session and when can I get back to work?

NeuroStar TMS Therapy is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that takes place right at our Newport TMS Treatment Center. The total amount of treatment time is about 19 minutes, during which you can relax in the treatment chair, listen to music, or watch one of your favorite shows or movies right there on our TV in the treatment room. When you are done you can resume your usual daily activity immediately after.

Is NeuroStar covered by insurance?

NeuroStar TMS Therapy for depression is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare, usually after medication options have proven ineffective in your major depression treatment. Learn more about insurance coverage options and see if your insurance provider covers NeuroStar treatment.

Important Safety Information

The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of NeuroStar TMS (<0.1% per patient). NeuroStar TMS Therapy® should not be used with patients who have non-removable conductive metal in or near the head. NeuroStar TMS Therapy® has not been studied in patients who have not received prior antidepressant treatment. The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode. The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy system is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if Neuro-Star Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary. Visit neurostar.com for full safety and prescribing information.