What Is the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Device for Treating Depression?
The FDA has cleared the NeuroStar TMS device for treating depressed adults for whom one antidepressant has failed to work. While ECT uses an electric current to induce seizure, TMS creates a magnetic field to induce a much smaller electric current in a specific part of the brain without causing seizure or loss of consciousness. TMS is used to treat milder depression and works best in patients who have failed to benefit from one, but not two or more, antidepressant treatments. Also, unlike ECT, TMS does not require sedation and is administered on an outpatient basis. Patients undergoing TMS must be treated four or five times a week for four weeks.
