As a leader in behavioral health treatment, CenterPointe offers Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to its treatment options for depression. TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain and improve symptoms of depression.

This FDA-approved therapy is designed to help depressed individuals who have not achieved relief through pharmacotherapy to return to their routine activities and feel like themselves again. During the four-to-six week treatment course, patients receive daily Monday through Friday outpatient treatment in the comfort of a physician’s office.

What is TMS Therapy

TMS Therapy is a FDA-cleared safe and effective non-drug depression treatment for patients who are not satisfied with the results of standard drug therapy. This novel treatment option provides benefits without the side effects often associated with antidepressant medication.

Uses precisely targeted magnetic pulses
Magnetic pulses are similar to those used in MRI
Stimulates key areas of the brain that are underactive in patients with depression
Is conducted right in the doctor’s office in a comfortable and relaxed setting

What is TMPS?

FDA Cleared
not ECT (electroconvulsive therapy)
non-drug
long lasting symptom relief
non-invasive
covered by most insurance
has no side effects of drugs
over 1 million treatments delivered

Facts about TMS Depression Treatment

Patients are awake and alert during treatment
Patients can go back to their normal activities immediately after treatment
In-office treatment takes 19 to 37 minutes
Treatment is administered 5 days a week (Monday through Friday), for approximately 4 to 6 weeks

With more than one million treatments performed, this novel treatment approach to achieving remission is bringing new hope to patients every day.

TMS Therapy may not be right for everyone. Talk to a CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia physician about how this proven depression treatment can help and whether it is right for you.

TMS Therapy can benefit individuals who have some of the following symptoms:

Depression symptoms have interfered with my daily life
I am not satisfied with the results I get from my medications
I have had worry about side effects from depression medications
I have switched medications for depression due to side effects
I am interested in a proven, non-drug therapy for depression

What are the current approved treatments for depression?

There are non-drug and drug therapies available to treat depression. Depression is often initially treated with psychotherapy (talk therapy) and antidepressant medication administered together. Although antidepressants can be effective for some patients, they do not work for everybody. Additionally, antidepressants often result in unwanted side effects.

Many patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressant medication and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them. For these patients, alternative treatments that involve the use of a medical device are available. These treatments include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

TMS Therapy for depression

For patients who do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressant medication and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them, other treatments with a medical device are available. One of these treatments is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The 2010 Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depression cites TMS as an appropriate treatment option for patients who have not benefited from initial antidepressant medication.

TMS uses short pulses of a magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain thought to control mood. The pulsed magnetic field may have a positive effect on the brain’s neurotransmitter levels. Treating depression with TMS Therapy provides a breakthrough depression treatment for those who have not been satisfied with the results they have had with antidepressant drugs.

TMS Therapy can benefit individuals who have some of the following symptoms:

Depression symptoms have interfered with my daily life.
I am not satisfied with the results I get from depression medication.
I have had or worry about side effects from depression medications.
I have switched medications for depression due to side effects.
I am interested in a proven, non-drug therapy for depression.

Indication

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.

TMS Therapy is only available by prescription. A CenterPointe Hospital doctor can help decide if TMS Therapy is right for you. Call to schedule an assessment at no cost.

Important Safety Information

The most common side effect is short-term 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 TMS (<0.1% per patient).

TMS Therapy should not be used with patients who have non-removable conductive metal in or near the head. TMS Therapy has not been studied in patients who have not received prior antidepressant treatment.